The Bengali Chhanar Payesh Recipe is something really special to me. And there has to be a special story. This one goes almost three decades back. Growing up back in Kolkata, there was this particular “mishtir dokan” or a Bengali sweet shop which was the pick-up point for our school bus. Yes, this happens only in Kolkata, “mishtir dokan” being pick up points. Our parents would get us till this mishtir dokan and the bus would be picking us from there and dropping us back at the same point in the evening.
I started school in Kolkata when I was in second grade and that too I joined the school in the middle of the school year as my Dad was transferred from another location. I was trying to cope up with everything new and the everyday commute in that grim green bus was something that robbed me of all peace in the universe. I would wail, bawl and cry at the thought of going to school and it became quite a task for my parents to convince me to go to school. I still remember sitting in that bus lost and listless. However, that story is for another day. The story here takes me back to that sweet shop. One of the ways my mom tried to cheer up those days was asking me to pick any sweet that I may like and putting it into my lunch box. But I was not interested. On Fridays, she would buy me something on the way back home too.
Amidst, all the different sweets in different shapes and colors, tucked in the corner would be a tray of little earthen bowls with a white colored sweet, something that looked like little rasgullas (ricotta cheese balls) dunked in milk. Since mom would be the best of her benevolent self in those days looking at my plight, I was allowed to pick whatever I wanted, I got my hands onto one of those bowls one day and there started my love affair with “the chhanar payesh”.
Soft clouds of the most decadent and soft cheese dunked in a concoction of sweetened milk tirelessly reduced for hours, powdered cardamom seeds fresh from the pods and judiciously perfumed with just the “right” amount of rose water. One spoonful into the mouth was good enough to restore all the lost hope and joy in my life.
Even now when I go back to India, I make it a point to taste the chhanar payesh. These are now served in plastic bowls but everything else is still the same.
Chhanar payesh epitomizes resilience and persistence in my life. It was the silver lining that I lived for all week. That particular year, after just being able to attend 4 months of the academic year, and learning to read and write a third language for the first time (unlike the other students in my class) I must say I fared pretty good. I had got the certificate of academic excellence and things sorted out later but I never forgot that experience. Even today in my life, I always have something indulgent waiting for me at the end of the week. Need not be always a food item but it has to be something that professes and promises self-love and nurturing.
Coming to the Chhanar Payesh recipe, I make two types. One in which I make the chhana, reduce the milk and sweeten it and then dump the chhana in the milk and give it a boil and then when ready take it off the stove and garnish with nuts and anything else that you may desire like the one below.
And then there is a second type. Here I make little chhena/chhana balls and stew it in the milk while it gets reduced. The latter is what we get in stores in Kolkata mostly. But then for me and the family both the version works equally well.
Today is Raksha Bandhan as well. I do not have a biological brother and many years I got a rakhi and tied it on my dad’s wrist 🙂 He was my every relation rolled into one. However, I have many cousins, and many brother-like figures in my life who have always stood by me. This chanar payesh recipe is dedicated to them.
Chhanar Payesh Recipe – Ricotta Cheese Dumplings in Reduced Milk
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Chhanar Payesh
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 75
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Pin RecipeIngredients
For the Chhena/Chhana
- Full fat milk – 1 liter or around 4 1/2 cups
- Lemon Juice – 4 tbsp
For the payesh
- Full Fat Milk – 2 cups
- Evaporated milk – 2 cans (alternatively use 2 cups of half and half)
- Sugar – ½ cup
- Bay Leaf – 2
- Powdered Cardamom – ½ tsp
- Thinly sliced Almonds – 1 tbsp (you can add other nuts too)
- Rose Water – 1 tbsp
Instructions
- For the chhena, bring the milk to a rolling boil. This takes easily 8-10 mins.
- Lower the heat, and add the lemon juice. Keep stirring to mix. You will see the milk split and whey separate.
- Turn off the flame and let it sit for 10 mins.
- Strain in a cheese cloth. Squeeze to remove the whey. Now dip the cheese cloth with the channa secured and tied in it in ice water for 2-3 mins.
- Take off and rinse under cold water. Squeeze again to remove the liquid.
- Put the chhana on a plate and mash well with the back of the palm of your hand until it becomes absolutely fine in texture. This takes about 5 mins. Make small balls and keep aside.
For the payesh
- Start boiling the milk (along with the evaporated milk or half and half) along with the bay leaves. Boil the milk over medium heat till it reduces to almost half its consistency. Keep stirring to make sure it does not burn. The whole process takes easily 15-20 mins and you have to be patient.
- Now add sugar and mix it in.
- Next goes in the chhena dumplings. Add them and bring the mixture to a boil. This takes 4-5 mins.
- Remove from flame and add the nuts.
- You should serve it chilled in the refrigerator. Before serving add the rose water.
Notes
- The Rose water is optional.
- The choice is yours if you wanna make small cheese balls or just add the chhena directly to the reduced milk. As I said, I do both types.
- Instead of evaporated milk or half and half, you can do the whole thing in milk. Using evaporated milk is kind of a short cut.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Bengali
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 0
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 0
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 0
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: Chanar Payesh Recipe
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