Name: Phalahari Chhena Poda
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 133 g Paneer, fresh chhena, squeezed of excess whey; 2¾ tbsp Sugar, adjust to taste; ⅔ tbsp Arrowroot Powder, fasting substitute for semolina/suji; ⅓ tsp Ground Cardamom; ⅔ tbsp Cashews, broken; ⅓ tbsp Raisins; ⅔ tbsp Ghee, divided (some for caramel, some for greasing)

55 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 40 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: None

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Ingredients

133 gPaneerfresh chhena, squeezed of excess whey
2¾ tbspSugaradjust to taste
⅔ tbspArrowroot Powderfasting substitute for semolina/suji
⅓ tspGround Cardamom
⅔ tbspCashewsbroken
⅓ tbspRaisins
⅔ tbspGheedivided (some for caramel, some for greasing)

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Method

Put the freshly made chhena into a wide bowl. Knead it with the heel of your hand for 4-5 minutes without stopping, until it is smooth and velvety. Do not work it so far that it turns runny.
4–5 min
Add the sugar straight into the kneaded cheese. Fold it in evenly and let it rest for 5 minutes. The sugar dissolves and loosens the mixture, which is what you want.
5 min
Sift the arrowroot powder over the mixture. (Traditional recipes call for semolina, but arrowroot binds just as well and keeps the dish gluten-free and suitable for fasting.) Mix until smooth.
Disperse the cardamom powder, fractured cashews, and plump raisins evenly throughout the batter.
Prep the baking vessel: Lavish a round cake tin with melted ghee. For an intensely authentic, scorched caramel foundation, dust the base with a trace of sugar and expose it directly to stovetop heat just until the sucrose liquefies and darkens.
Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared tin. Level the top with an offset spatula.
Bake within the 180°C thermal environment for 35 to 40 minutes. Vigilance is required: extraction is dictated by a deeply caramelized, near-charred upper crust and a completely dry skewer test.
35–40 min
Take it out and let it cool completely in the tin, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours. Turning it out too early will make it collapse.
2 hr
Once it is cool and firm, turn it out cleanly onto a serving plate, cut it into neat slices and serve.

How to tell it's done

A dense, rich, sweet cheese cake with a contrasting, chewy caramelized crust.

Getting it right

Tip

The signature of Chhena Poda is its burnt, dark crust. Do not be alarmed if the top looks overly dark; it adds the essential smoky caramel flavour.

What to serve it with

Serve at room temperature as a festive sweet ending to a fasting meal.

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