Name: Chhena Poda - Baked Cottage Cheesecake recipe by Alka Jena at BetterButter
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: For chhena or cottage cheese: 3 litre milk; Juice of 2 lemons; For Chhena Poda Chhena made out of 3 ltrs of milk:; 2 cups sugar; 1 tsp cardamoms powder; 1 tbsp cashew nuts; 1 tbsp raisins; 2 tbsp warm milk or whey

ABOUT Chhena Poda - Baked Cottage Cheesecake RECIPE

If cheesecakes were the dominants of the western world. Well, let me to introduce to you the quintessential Odia dessert called Chhenapoda – the only well known Indian dessert derives its flavor primarily from caramelized sugar. It’s made of a few basic ingredients but yields a smoky, nutty flavored sublime dessert that is infinitely rich and intense. I particularly love it’s texture, it certainly looks like a cake but tastes like a slightly grainy pudding. How much I try to put my feelings in words, I don’t think I can truly describe in words what a wonderful dessert I am talking about. The proof of this dessert is totally in it’s eating and considering how easy it is to make, you might start to making it now. Chhena Poda or baked cottage cheese is a sweet dish from the state of Odisha, India. The literal meaning of Chhena poda is burnt cottage cheese; Chhena is cottage cheese and Poda means burnt. The procedure is simple, home-made cottage cheese is well-kneaded along with dry fruits and sugar, then it is slowly baked till the caramelized brown color appears. What makes this sweet dish different from other Indian desserts is the flavor of caramelized sugar. Chhena poda is usually made at home during traditional festivals and as offerings to the God. It is said that Chhena Poda is Lord Jagganath’s favourite dessert.

Instructions

Boil the milk in a deep vessel. Simmer and add lemon juice when the milk starts boiling.Turn off the heat.
Curdling will happen and you will see the chhena separating from the water. Boil for a minute and turn off the flame.
Sieve the chhena through a strainer lined with muslin cloth. keep the whey aside. Sieve the chhena through a strainer lined with muslin cloth. Keep the whey aside.
Crumble and mash the chhena when it is still warm with the help of a spatula till smooth.
Fry cashew nuts and raisins lightly to give a richer taste to the preparation.
Add sugar, cardamom powder and fried cashew nuts and raisin to the chhena. Add 2 table spoon of milk or whey to it and mix well in a blender till smooth.
Grease a baking tin with ghee or butter.
Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar and heat the pan. Once the sugar starts getting caramelized, switch off the flame and tilt the baking pan so that its base is well covered with caramel syrup.
Now spread evenly using a flat spatula.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 45 minutes till the top turns brown or in Microwave in convention mode at 180 degree for 40 to 45 minutes.
Insert a tooth pick in the center. It should come out clean. If it is wet, bake for 5 more minutes.
Run a knife through the sides and invert the cooking tin on a plate as soon as it is out of the oven. Any delay will make the sugar at the base of the tin harder making it difficult to come out intact.
Slice the Chhena Poda and serve hot or cold.

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