Cham Cham

Cham Cham

A popular Bengali sweet dish made from fresh chenna (paneer) and soaked in a sugar syrup. Here's a concise recipe for making Cham Cham:

Ingredients:

• 2 liters of full-fat milk
• 
  
  
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
• 
  
  
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 
  
  
  
• 4 cups water
• 
  
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 
  
  
  
• A few strands of saffron (optional)
• 
  
  
  
• Chopped pistachios or shredded coconut for garnishing
• 
  
  
  

Instructions:

1. Boil the milk in a large pot, then add lemon juice or vinegar to curdle it. Stir gently until the milk solids separate from the whey.
   
   
   
2. Line a sieve or colander with a muslin cloth and strain the curdled milk to separate the whey. Rinse the curdled milk under cold water to remove any sourness from the lemon juice or vinegar.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Gather the ends of the cloth and squeeze gently to remove excess water from the chenna. Hang the cloth for about 30 minutes to let the remaining water drain.
   
   
   
4. Take the chenna in a large plate and knead it with your hands until it becomes smooth and soft.
   
   
   
5. Divide the chenna into small portions and shape them into oval or cylindrical dumplings.
   
   
   
6. In a large pot, combine sugar and water and bring it to a boil. Add cardamom powder and saffron strands for flavor if desired.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Gently drop the chenna dumplings into the boiling sugar syrup and cook on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until they double in size and turn soft.
   
   
   
8. Remove the Cham Cham from the syrup and let them cool.
   
   
   
9. Garnish the Cham Cham with chopped pistachios or shredded coconut.
   
   
   
10. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!
    
    
    

Note: This recipe yields approximately 12-15 pieces of Cham Cham. Adjust the quantity of sugar and water according to your preference for sweetness.