Cheesy chhana

One cup of creamed chhana has 206 calories and 9g of fat. Chhana contains all the essential amino acids needed for it to qualify as a complete protein. One cup of creamed chhana has 23g of protein, which is 41 percent of the recommended daily intake for men and 50 percent for women. The only natural sources of vitamin B-12 are animal-based foods. One cup of chhana delivers 38 percent of the recommended daily intake, as well as 18 percent of the daily intake of calcium. 

Homemade Chhana
Ingredients
3 litres milk 
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 
A fine mesh strainer

Method
Pour the milk into a large pan. Turn the heat to high and wait for the milk to come to a boil. When the milk begins to boil, add the lemon juice. You will notice the milk beginning to curdle, and separate into chhana and whey. 

Turn off the heat and allow the cheese to rest in the whey for a few minutes. Meanwhile, place a large strainer on top of a pan and cover the strainer with muslin/ cheesecloth. 

Carefully pour the whey along with the cottage cheese into the muslin-covered strainer. Lift the strainer and let all the whey drain into the pan below. 

Now wash the cottage cheese with cold water to remove any traces of lemon. Bring the edges of the muslin cloth together to pack the chhana into a bundle. Holding the top of this bundle, gently squeeze out all the remaining water from the chhana. Leave the chhana in the muslin cloth, with the top tied, over the strainer for one hour. In this time, all the water will drain out and your homemade cottage cheese will be ready.

Chhanar Paturi
Chhanar paturi is an authentic Bengali dish of paneer that is flavoured with mustard, coconut and green chilli, and steamed in pumpkin leaves. Paneer is also known as chhana in Bengali. This recipe is a vegetarian adaptation of the popular Bengali fish dish, one of the royal dishes of Bengali cuisine. 

Ingredients
250g paneer/chhana  
2 tbsp mustard seed paste  
2 tbsp coconut paste  
3 green chillies, crushed into a paste
3 tbsp mustard oil  
½ tsp turmeric powder  
Juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp sugar  
Salt to taste
2 large pumpkin leaves

Method
To make chhanar paturi, first you will need a bowl that can be covered with a lid and placed in a steamer. Now mix all the 
ingredients.

Coat the paneer evenly with the mixture. Spread mustard oil over both pumpkin leaves. Transfer the chhana mix onto one of the pumpkin leaves and cover with the other one. Tie both leaves with thread to make a parcel. Now prepare the steamer by adding water and arrange the bowl in the steamer. Place the pumpkin leaf parcel in the steamer and steam over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. When it is done, 

remove the parcels from the steamer. Transfer the paneer filling onto a plate and serve warm.

Chhanar Kalia
Ingredients
300g chhana  
1 tbsp all-purpose flour  
1 tbsp onion paste  
1 tbsp ginger paste  
1 tsp  garam masala powder 
1 tsp red chilli powder 
½ tsp turmeric powder 
1 tsp  cumin paste 
Salt and sugar to taste
Oil for shallow frying
Whole garam masala (cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves)

Method
Mix the chhana with all- purpose flour and salt and knead it extremely well to make a soft and firm dough. Divide the chhana dough into equal portions and make flat medium-sized discs. Heat the oil for shallow frying and fry the chhana until it turns golden brown. 

Blot the chhana on tissue paper to get rid of the excess oil and keep aside. In the same oil add the whole garam masala. Next, add the onion paste and fry until it turns brown. Add the ginger paste and sauté further to remove the raw taste. Now add the cumin paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and fry for a few minutes. Sprinkle the garam masala powder over it, add the sugar and salt to taste and mix well. Add 2 cups of water and let it reach its boiling point. Gently drop the chhana discs, cover and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes while it soaks up some of the gravy. Take off the heat and serve the hot chhanar kalia with polao or roti.

Chhanar Polau/Jorda
Chhanar polau is a very popular Bengali dessert. Usually it is served on special occasions such as Eid, etc. decadent and elegant dessert needs only few ingredients – simple to make but with such a gorgeous end product.

Ingredients
1 cup chhana  
1 tbsp cornflour 
1 tbsp flour 
1 tbsp milk powder  
1 tbsp ghee  
1 tbsp sugar  
Food colouring (traditionally orange)

For the sugar syrup
1 cup sugar  
¾ cup water  
2 pods cardamom  
1 small stick cinnamon  

To serve
2 tbsp mawa
2 tbsp grated mixed nuts 

Method
In a pan, mix all the syrup ingredients and cook until make it thickens slightly. Mix the other ingredients with the chhana and make a dough. Heat some oil in a pan. Rub the dough over a grater so that the rice-like pieces drop into the hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes at low heat or until they become a little crisp. After frying, put it into the hot syrup, cover, and leave for 10 minutes. Strain the chhana from the syrup and keep it in a wide dish, so that it does not stick together. Now set on a serving plate, garnish with the mawa, and mixed nuts, and serve.

Chhanar Jilapi
Ingredients
1 cup chhana
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp milk
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Oil for deep frying
Pistachios to garnish

For sugar syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
A few saffron strands
2-3 pods cardamom, crushed

Method
Add flour, baking powder, cardamom powder, milk and chhana and knead well to a smooth dough. After that cover it with a cloth/cling wrap and leave for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup. In a wide pan, put sugar, water, saffron and cardamom pods and bring it to a boil. Let it boil until the syrup becomes a little sticky. Keep aside. 

Now start shaping the jilapi: pinch small balls from the dough and roll the ball into a long thick rope. Shape the rope into a pretzel or just a swirl. Repeat for the rest of the dough and put the shaped jilapi to one side. Heat some oil in a pan for deep frying and fry the jilapi until golden brown. Remove from the oil and add it to the warm sugar syrup. Leave it in the syrup for 2-3 hours, after which the chhanar jilapi will be ready to serve.

Chhanar Cake
Ingredients
1 ½ cup chhana 
4 slices bread (plain white) 
100g butter  
1 cup sugar
2 eggs  
½ tsp baking powder  
½ tsp Vanilla extract 
Cashew nuts (crushed) to garnish
1 handful raisins

Method
Take the bread, remove the crusts, soak in water and squeeze carefully. Knead on a clean and flat surface. Use your hands to knead the chhana until smooth, creamy and shiny in texture. Now mix the bread and the chhana together and keep covered. Whisk the butter and sugar in a separate bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. 

Add the chhana to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until the sugar is completely dissolved and there are no lumps. Add the baking powder, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix well to create a cake batter-like mixture. 

Lastly mix in the cashew nuts and raisins. Grease your baking pan with butter. Pour the cake batter into the baking pan. Preheat your oven to 180° C for 10-15 minutes. Put the baking pan on the middle rack of oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes.  When it is done, switch the oven off and allow the cake to rest inside for another 10 minutes. Once cooled, slice and enjoy.

Photo: Collected