Name: Chhena Poda
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ⅔ cup Paneer, freshly crumbled (chhena preferred); ⅛ cup Sugar, adjust to taste; ¾ tbsp Semolina, fine sooji; ¼ tsp Ground Cardamom, freshly ground; ¼ tbsp Ghee, for greasing and mixing; ½ tbsp Cashews, chopped; ½ tbsp Raisins, washed

1 hrtotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 45 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: None

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Ingredients

⅔ cupPaneerfreshly crumbled (chhena preferred)
⅛ cupSugaradjust to taste
¾ tbspSemolinafine sooji
¼ tspGround Cardamomfreshly ground
¼ tbspGheefor greasing and mixing
½ tbspCashewschopped
½ tbspRaisinswashed

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop, Oven.

Method

Tip the fresh chhena onto a wide plate. Knead it with the heel of your palm for 5-7 minutes until it is completely smooth.
5–7 min
Incorporate the sugar and fine semolina into the homogenous paneer. Continue kneading until the sugar dissolves and the composition turns slightly slack and tacky.
Fold in the cardamom powder, chopped cashews, plump raisins, and a touch of ghee. The final mixture should loosely resemble a dense, wet cake batter.
Grease your prepared baking tin (lined with a banana leaf if available) with ghee. Pour the chhena batter uniformly into the tin and gently tap the base to eliminate trapped air pockets.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. The hallmark of an excellent Chhena Poda is the development of a deeply caramelized, dark brown exterior crust.
40–45 min
Test the doneness by inserting a wooden skewer into the center; it should extract cleanly. Remove the tin and let the cake undergo a complete structural cooldown inside the pan.
Once brought fully to room temperature, invert to demold, slice neatly, and serve this legendary dessert.

How to tell it's done

A heavily caramelized, slightly chewy crust giving way to an unbelievably soft, spongy, and grainy cottage cheese center.

Getting it right

Tip

The signature of Chhena Poda is its caramelized exterior. Don't be alarmed if the crust looks deeply roasted; that's where the caramel flavor comes from.

What to serve it with

Serve slices at room temperature as a dessert after meals. It holds up beautifully over a few days in the fridge.

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