Appalled, I was appalled to learn that Paneer does not have Indian roots. That’s right, are you shocked as well? Think about all those ‘Indian-themed’ potlucks and picnics you planned because you learned a new Paneer recipe from the internet? And all the times you thought of giving a ‘desi’ edge to a sandwich by throwing in slices of cottage cheese in the mix?
Chenna And Paneer's Journey In India
There are several theories related to its advent in India. Apparently, the word ‘Paneer’ itself is a derivative of the Persian word ‘Peynir’. India has always been a country that dotes on dairy; traces of the same have been found in the culinary habits of the Indus valley inhabitants too. However, the use of this milk by-product was popularised much later. Some also say that the Portuguese obsession with cottage cheese rubbed off on the Indians, leading to the foundation of India’s long-standing love affair with chenna. Although Chenna and Paneer are made the same way, chenna has more moisture than the paneer. Paneer also requires a few extra steps as it is much firmer and is popularly used in gravies and curries. On the other hand, Chenna seems to dominate the dessert fare of the country, especially in the east. There are countless chenna-based desserts that most of you may have had, like Rasgulla, Sondesh, Rajbhog, cham cham et al., but have you ever had a bowl of kheer made with this popular dairy product?
Not Rice, But Chenna Is The Core Ingredient Of This Bengali Kheer
Kheer is an Indian pudding that is typically prepared with rice or vermicelli. In Bengal, the pudding is known as Payesh and is much thinner in terms of consistency. Chaaler Payesh is not just another dessert in Bengal but holds great significance in religious and auspicious occasions, such as ‘Annaprashana’, a six-month-old baby’s first rice-eating ceremony, or the Durga Puja Bhog. Therefore, Chaler Payesh does seem to have a ubiquitous presence on occasions, big or small. That said, the famous pudding can be made equally enticing with other ingredients, like chenna.
Making Chennar Payesh
After it is drained, Chenna becomes a nice, moist blob of cottage cheese mashed repeatedly until it becomes a delicate dough. This mashed chenna is divided into balls and cooked with sweetened milk boiled with saffron essence, and it is finished off with a garnish of pistachios in this tantalising chennar Payesh recipe by chef Sanjay Kumar Mishra of The Imperial, New Delhi.
Here is the whole recipe that has gotten us hooked.
- Milk ½ ltr
- Saffron, few strands
- Lemon juice ½ tsp
- Sugar 1/2cup
- Almond blanched and chopped 5-6
- Pistachio blanched and chopped 5-6
Method:
1. In a pot, boil half a litre of milk and once it comes to a boil, add lemon juice and keep stirring till the milk curdles.
2. Strain the watery whey by placing the chenna in a muslin cloth and draining away the excess water.
3. Collect the chenna on a plate, mash it.
4. Boil milk with saffron and allow it to reduce to half.
5. Throw in the sugar, followed by chenna balls, let it simmer for some time and allow it to cool.
6. Serve the kheer chilled and garnished with pistachios and almonds.
Try it soon and let us know if you enjoyed it.