Mango Chenna Poda: The Desi Cheesecake Of India From Orissa

Mango, also known as the King of Fruits, is the national fruit of India. The fruit has been a favourite of the royals and well as the common folk. Did you know in the Mughal era, there were special, royal patronages granted to specific Mango cultivators until Shah Jahan lifted the limitation. The fruit occupies a significant place in Buddhism. It is believed that Lord Buddha created many mango trees in the Indian district of Shravasti, from just one seed. The Buddhist monks also carried the fruit with them in their travels, popularising it further. Today, mango is not only grown all over the country but also exported to other parts of the world, the many cultivars of the fruit is proof that our obsession is far from dying down soon.

While it is oh-so-tempting to just grab a fresh mango, slice it and eat it, it is an even better idea to use them to flavour your desserts and take it up a notch. Trust us, the wait is worth it. From ice creams, to smoothies to cakes mangoes can give a sweet, fruity upgrade to just about anything. Now, many of you may have tried the mango cheesecake, how about trying an Indian cheesecake to celebrate the National Mango Day?  

What Is Chenna Poda- India's Very Own Burnt Cheesecake

Chenna Poda, an Odia dessert is rightfully, the OG cheesecake of India. And you would be surprised to know that it was actually created by an ‘accident’. For the uninitiated, Chenna Poda is the combination of two words, where Chenna means cottage cheese and Poda or Pora means burnt. It was created in the late 1940’s in Nayagarh, Odisha. One evening, Sudarshan Sadu, a popular confectioner left sweet chenna on hot flame and forgot about it. Naturally, the chenna was slightly charred at the bottom, when he came back and tasted the chenna, he was quite impressed. He worked on the dessert further, and gave us our much beloved Chenna Poda.  

The Chenna Poda now versus then is quite different, over the years, people have started adding semolina, nuts and many other things to the batter. In this Mango Chenna Poda, the lovely addition of fresh, pulpy mangoes makes the dessert all the more delightful. Juts curdle the milk, strain the curdled milk through muslin cloth until you get soft chenna, mix with sooji, black pepper powder, mango puree, ghee and then set it in baking tin.  

Here’s a complete, step-by-step recipe of Mango Chenna Poda. Try it today and let us know how you liked it. Do not forget to share the pictures.