CHANAR PAYESH (BENGALI STYLE COTTAGE CHEESE PUDDING )

Chanar Payesh  is a very famous traditional  bengali  sweet. Chana means paneer  or cottage cheese and payesh is a bengali  word,it means kheer  or milk  pudding  . It is a kheer or milk pudding made with  milk and chena or paneer  or  cottage cheese ball. You can make it with store bought  paneer  or  cottage cheese but this recipe comes out best with freshly made homemade cottage cheese which is easy to knead.


INGREDIENTS FOR CHENA OR PANEER BALL

Milk- 1ltr
Lemon Juice or Vinegar -2teaspoon
Granuled Sugar -2tbsp


INGREDIENTS FOR KHEER OR PAYESH

Milk-2 ltr
Sugar-3/4 cup


HOW TO MAKE CHENA OR PANEER  OR COTTAGE CHEESE BALL 



Take a heavy bottomed vessel, add milk

bring it to  boil and keep stirring to avoid burning of milk..

Once the milk comes to boil, simmer the gas, start adding the lemon juice and keep stirring( if required,add more lemon juice) cook for few seconds until the milk solids gets separates from the whey. Switch off the heat.

Pour this curdled milk to the already lined muslin cloth over a strainer,squeeze out all the whey water then  rinse it as much as possible....if you do not rinse the chena or paneer  proper. .you will  get the smell  of lemon while having it.

Now hang the cloth covered  chena or paneer tap for 30 minutes. Then remove it from tap and place a heavy weight on chena for another 30 minutes. It will help to squeeze  more water from chena or paneer .


After 1 hr, remove the cheesecloth from the chenna or paneer.

The chena or paneer should have too much moisture nor be too dry.

Take the paneer in a wider plate,rub it well  with your palms for 5 to 6 minutes  to get smooth texture.

Now divide  the paneer  into two equal portions.

Take one part..mix granulated  sugar with it..make small small balls from this portion  of  paneer.

Keep aside the remaining  portion of paneer .

HOW TO MAKE  PANEER KHEER OR CHANAR PAYESH 

Take a heavy bottomed vessel,preferably  non stick,add milk for kheer or payesh.

Bring it to boil ..when milk will start boiling, simmer the gas, add paneer balls  or chena balls little by little.



Let it simmer till reduced to half the original quantity..stirring in between.

Add sugar, stir and simmer till it dissolves. Add mashed  paneer or chena to the milk. Simmer for two minutes.

Take off the heat...Let it be cool..and serve.