Bengali sweets are unique in terms of their flavours and ingredients. Especially, sweets made with Channa (cottage cheese) are always loved by everyone. You will find a range of channa sweets in Bengal, which are all very unique in taste and appearance. With Janmashtami round the corner, here is a special recipe, “Channar Payesh”, a pudding made with cottage cheese. This recipe will taste best if you use homemade channa. Store-bought channa will not give the same taste as homemade channa have a more moist and soft texture.
Ingredients
- Channa (paneer)- 200g
- Milk- 1 and 1/2 litre
- Sugar- 1/2 cup
- Ghee- 3 tbsp.
- Cardamom (Elachi) powder- 2 tsp.
Method:
- Take the channa (paneer) on a large plate and cut them into small cubes. (Mash the channa and make small balls with hand). Then keep them aside.
- Now take a pan and put it on flame. When the pan heats slightly, add three tablespoons of ghee and heat slightly on low flame.
- After the ghee heats, slowly place the channa cubes/balls on the pan and sauté it for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- When the channa becomes slightly brown on all the sides, please take off the pan and put it aside.
- Now, take a large bowl and place it on the flame on a low flame.
- Pour the milk into the bowl and allow it to boil on medium flame.
- Keep stirring the milk while it boils to stop it from overflowing or burning.
- When the milk thickens up and becomes half in quantity, add the sugar and stir it for a while until the sugar melts. Make sure you turn the flame low before adding the sugar.
- Next, gradually add the sautéed channa cubes and stir the milk slowly for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Lastly, add the cardamom powder and stir it again for 2 minutes.
- After that, take it off the flame, and it is ready to serve.
*You can garnish it with chopped nuts, dry fruits, or raisins.
