Chhena (Indian Fresh Cheese)
ベンガルスイーツの魂！レモンが魔法をかける真っ白なフワフワの塊
Description
Fresh cheese 'not pressed solid', just curdling boiling milk with acid (lemon juice/vinegar) and straining moisture. The state before Paneer, possessing exquisite fluffiness.
Classification: For Maniacs,Dairy,Sweets Base
Shops selling Chhena (Indian Fresh Cheese)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Milk
- Lemon juice(or vinegar)
Instructions
- Boil milk in a pot, turn off heat, add lemon juice in batches.
- When milk curdles completely into green liquid (whey) and white chunks (Chhena), pour into a sieve lined with Muslin cloth.
- Wash with cold water removing lemon acidity, squeeze cloth leaving 'moderate moisture' (*Point is not pressing rock-hard with weights like Paneer).
- Add sugar, knead thoroughly smooth by hand, roll, boil in syrup into Bengal specialty 'Rasgulla'.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
None
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Cottage cheese (can sub if strained smooth)
Pairing
Rasgulla, Sandesh (Bengali sweets), Rasmalai
Trivia
[Hardcore] 'Chhena' and 'Paneer' are similar yet different. While Paneer—squeezed and pressed solid—is used as 'curry ingredients', soft, moisture-retaining Chhena is used as 'Bengali sweets (Mithai) base'. East India's sweet delicate confection culture is entirely built upon this Chhena's fluffiness.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Mix a little sugar and cardamom into freshly made, faintly warm Chhena, eating directly with a spoon, hogging the ultimate fresh milk taste!
Allergen
Dairy