Chenna Payas

Chenna payas is a sweet dish mostly made in Bengal and Orissa.  Chenna means Cottage cheese or paneer and payas means kheer. So, it is kheer made out of paneer. This is for all my bong friends who are celebrating Durga Festival.  Happy Festive Days, Enjoy the 5 days of festivity.  

 

Ingredient

For cottage cheese /Chenna

Milk – 1ltr
Vinegar – 1tbsp

For Sugar syrup

Water -4 cups
Sugar – 1 ½ cup

For the Payas / thickened milk

Milk – 1 ½  ltr
Sugar – 5tbsp
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Saffron – 5-6 strands

Method

To make cottage Cheese

1.      Boil the milk in a pan.  When it starts boiling. Reduce the heat.

2.      Now add the vinegar and let it curdle completely. You will see the water part separately. 

3.      Strain it into a muslin cloth kept it a sieve.

4.      Wash it under running water.  The is important as it stops the cooking and the sourness of vinegar will be washed away.

5.      Now squeeze out the water completely by pressing the cloth.

6.      Transfer the thick cottage cheese to a big plate.

7.      Knead the chenna with the palm for about 10 to 15 min. i.e till you get a soft dough without any granules.

8.      Make very small balls by rolling it in your hand. Keep it aside. 

To Cook the chenna in sugar syrup

9.      In a pan boil water.

10.  Add sugar and let it melt.

11.  Now add the rolled chenna balls one by one.

12.  Let it cook in low flame for 20 min. It will increase in size and fluffy.

13.  Remove it from the heat and let it cool by itself. 

 To make the payas 

14.  Boil the milk. When it starts boiling, reduce the flame and let it cook till the quantity become half.

15.  Now add the sugar, cardamom powder and saffron. Mix it well.

16.  Now remove the chenna balls from the syrup and squeeze it lightly to remove the excess syrup.  Be careful not to break it.  

17.  Add it into the milk mixture. Mix gently.

18.  Cover and cook for 10 min.

19.  Remove from heat and let it cool.  

20.  Yummy chenna payas is ready to serve.