Struggling to search out that excellent Chenna Recipe to make your well-liked Bengali and different Indian sweets at residence? Properly, your plight ends right here. I’ve shared a foolproof methodology to make Chenna at residence, that too with ease. All you require is the fundamental components and by following this step-by-step methodology, you may simply make a batch of this important ingredient on the consolation of your own home.
About Chenna
Chenna, a contemporary and unripened curd cheese, is a basic ingredient in quite a lot of beloved Bengali and Indian sweets.
Made by curdling milk with an acidic agent like lemon juice or vinegar or curd, chenna serves as the bottom for a lot of conventional desserts, together with the long-lasting Rasgulla, Sandesh, Rasmalai, Kalakand and Cham Cham.
The method of constructing chenna is easy but requires precision. Complete milk is dropped at a boil after which curdled by including the acidic substance.
As soon as the milk solids separate from the whey, the combination is strained by a muslin fabric to gather the curds.
The curds or coagulated milk solids are then washed beneath chilly water to take away any residual acidity, making certain a impartial taste. After squeezing out extra moisture, the ensuing chenna is prepared for use.
This contemporary chenna is delicate and crumbly, excellent for kneading right into a easy, pliable dough for candy making.
About This Methodology
I often observe this fast methodology, the place I preserve a weight on the chenna for six to 7 minutes, slightly than retaining the chenna tied up within the muslin for half-hour or extra.
Often, from 1 liter of full-fat milk, I get 350 grams of chenna. However this yield will differ relying on the standard of milk and the fats content material within the milk.
Additionally, keep in mind to make use of contemporary milk. Don’t refrigerate the chenna as this adjustments the feel of the sweets. Consider to arrange the quantity you require. So accordingly, you may make the chenna from ½ liter to 2 liters milk.
Versatility of Chenna
The flexibility of chenna extends past Bengali sweets to different regional Indian delicacies.
In Odisha, chenna is important for making ready Chenna Poda, a baked candy the place the chenna is blended with sugar and cardamom earlier than being baked to a golden brown, leading to a caramelized, flavorful dessert.
Chenna’s function in Indian sweets will not be solely about taste and texture but additionally about cultural and regional id.
Every area has its distinctive strategies and recipes, typically handed down by generations, making chenna-based sweets a cherished a part of India’s culinary heritage.
The skillful transformation of this easy cheese right into a myriad of pleasant sweets showcases the ingenuity and artistry of Indian confectionery.
Whether or not loved throughout festivals, celebrations, or as on a regular basis indulgences, chenna-based sweets proceed to deliver pleasure and sweetness to numerous lives.
Step-by-Step Information
How one can make Chenna
1. First, deliver 1 liter contemporary entire milk to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Then, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar.
You may as well add 2 to three tablespoons yogurt, as an alternative of lemon juice or vinegar.
3. Stir and blend completely and you will note the milk getting curdled in a couple of seconds. Ideally, the milk ought to get curdled without delay or in a couple of seconds, after you stir within the acidic ingredient.
Maintain further lemon juice prepared, in case the milk doesn’t curdle. Bear in mind not too add an excessive amount of.
1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar is ample for about 1 liter of entire milk. In case it’s essential to add extra, then add about ½ tablespoon extra.
4. While you see the greenish whey, pour the curdled milk in a pan or bowl lined with a skinny cotton serviette or muslin fabric. You may as well use cheese fabric.
5. As soon as you’re performed including all of the curdled milk, deliver collectively the perimeters of the cotton serviette or muslin fabric and gently squeeze out the remaining whey from it.
Take care as it will likely be sizzling. The greenish whey is wealthy in vitamins and will be added to gravies, pulaos, biryanis or doughs of rotis/chapatis and breads.
6. Rinse the collected bundle of chenna in water. This can eliminate the after style and scent of the acidic ingredient.
7. Maintain a heavy weight on the bundle for six to 7 minutes. Don’t preserve for a very long time as you don’t need all of the moisture to be drained.
When you’ve got time, then you may also tie and grasp the bundle for half-hour to 1 hour.
8. Later, open the muslin and gently take away the chenna. You would make make Bengali sweets straightaway from the contemporary chenna.
If not utilizing instantly, place the chenna in an hermetic container within the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Chhena Vs Paneer
I make each chenna and paneer by the identical methodology. Chenna is the coagulated milk solids and paneer is the coagulated solids which has been pressed extra and thus units firmly. The previous is extra moist than the latter.
Chenna can be very delicate, unfastened and crumbly, whereas Paneer will not be crumbly and has a agency tight texture. Chenna has extra of the whey than paneer, the place all of the whey has been strained.
In contrast to Chenna, that may solely be crumbled, Paneer will be diced or cubed firmly with separate items.
Skilled Ideas
- Clear utensils: Make it possible for all of your cooking instruments – resembling pans, bowls, spoons, strainers, cheesecloth, and napkins – are completely cleaned.
- Milk choice: Use entire milk for the very best outcomes, as skimmed or low-fat milk received’t work successfully on this recipe.
- Utilizing lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice slightly than bottled juice for higher taste.
- Options to lemon juice: You possibly can substitute lemon juice with white distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or curd (yogurt).
- Reusing leftover whey: The nutrient-rich greenish whey will be added to gravies, pulaos, biryanis, or utilized in dough for rotis, chapatis, and breads. However be aware that the whey will likely be tangy, so no matter you add it in, the ensuing dish will likely be tangy.
FAQs
Chenna is made by curdling milk with an acidic agent like lemon juice, vinegar, or curd. Complete milk is boiled, and the acid is added to separate the milk solids from the whey. The milk solids are then strained utilizing a muslin fabric or strainer, rinsed to take away the acidic style, and pressed frivolously to empty extra water. The ensuing delicate, crumbly curd is chenna.
Chenna is delicate and crumbly, usually utilized in making sweets like rasgulla, sandesh, and so forth. Paneer, however, is firmer as it’s pressed for an extended time to take away extra moisture, making it appropriate for savory dishes like curries and stir-fries.
Complete milk is right for making chenna because it has the next fats content material, which yields higher texture and taste. Skimmed or low-fat milk doesn’t produce good outcomes.
Chenna is a wealthy supply of protein and calcium, selling muscle and bone well being. It is usually simple to digest, making it appropriate for folks of all ages. Moreover, it supplies important vitamins like nutritional vitamins A and D, contributing to general well being.
Extra Do It Your self Recipes!
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Chenna Recipe | How To Make Chhena
Chenna is nothing however delicate, moist and crumbly cottage cheese that’s made within the jap elements of India. It’s made with milk that’s curdled with an acidic components like lemon juice or vinegar and later strained. Chenna is usually used to make quite a lot of sweets and desserts.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Whole Time 15 minutes
Forestall your display from going darkish whereas making the recipe
First deliver the milk to a boil in a saucepan.
Scale back warmth to medium or medium-low.
Subsequent add lemon juice or vinegar or yogurt. Stir and blend completely and you will note the milk getting curdled.
Ideally the milk ought to get curdled without delay after you stir the lime juice or vinegar. Simply preserve further lime juice prepared with you, in case the milk doesn’t curdle.
While you see the greenish whey, pour the curdled milk in to pan lined with a skinny cotton serviette or muslin. You may as well use cheese fabric.
As soon as you’re performed including all of the curdled milk, then deliver collectively the perimeters of the cotton serviette or muslin and gently squeeze out the remaining whey from it.
The greenish whey is wealthy in vitamins and will be added to gravies or to make rotis/chapatis and even pulaos, bread doughs.
Rinse the collected bundle of chenna in water. This can eliminate the after style and scent of both the lemon juice or vinegar.
Maintain a heavy weight like a mortar or a plate on the chenna bundle for six to 7 minutes.
Later take away the chenna after which use it accordingly to make sweets like sandesh, cham cham, rasmalai and rasgulla.
- Use entire milk. Skimmed milk or low fats milk received’t work effectively.
- For the lemon juice, use juice squeezed from contemporary lemons and never bottled juice.
- Choose to make use of white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar or curd (yogurt) as an alternative of lemon juice.
- Be sure that all of your pans, bowls, spoons, strainers and cheesecloth, napkins and so forth are clear.
Vitamin Details
Chenna Recipe | How To Make Chhena
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 156 Energy from Fats 72
% Each day Worth*
Fats 8g12%
Saturated Fats 5g31%
Polyunsaturated Fats 0.3g
Monounsaturated Fats 2g
Ldl cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 98mg4%
Potassium 391mg11%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 0.01g0%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 418IU8%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.1mg7%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.4mg24%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 0.3mg2%
Vitamin B6 0.2mg10%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Vitamin D 3µg20%
Vitamin E 0.1mg1%
Vitamin Ok 1µg1%
Calcium 317mg32%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 1µg0%
Iron 0.003mg0%
Magnesium 31mg8%
Phosphorus 261mg26%
Zinc 1mg7%
* P.c Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie eating regimen.
This selfmade Chenna recipe from the archives was first printed in July 2014. It has been up to date and republished on November 2024.