Chenna Payesh is an Indian dessert popular all over India. It is basically made out of chenna/ paneer balls/curdled milk balls, sugar and rabri/ rabdi/reduced milk. As a child whenever my parents took us out to eat I’d make it sure to order Chenna Payesh for dessert. I used to think that it is very difficult to make the dessert. It was after I tried the recipe from various sources, a year earlier when I came to know that its kinda easy. In this blog I’ll share my way of making chenna payesh.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 ½  hours

Serves: 10-12 individuals

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

For the chenna:

Full fat Milk                                                        1 ½ liters

White Vinegar                                                    2 tbsp

Lemon Juice                                                        1 tbsp

Water                                                                  1 Liter

Sugar                                                                   5 tbsp

For the Rabdi/ Rabri

Full Fat Milk                                                        1 ½ Liters

Sugar                                                                   200g

Cardamom Powder                                            ½ tsp

Chopped Dry Fruits                                            ½ cup

Saffron                                                                 10-12 Strands

Directions:

1. In a small bowl soak saffron strands in two tbsp of warm milk and set aside. In a wide pan heat and boil 1 ½ liter of milk. As it comes to a boil keep it away from the heat and add vinegar and lemon juice to it. Stir the milk till all the milk curdles.
2. Strain the chenna in a muslin cloth and wash it under the running cold water. Tie up the chenna in the muslin cloth, squeeze off the excess water and hang it over the sink for half an hour.
3. Meanwhile in another wide pan heat and boil the remaining 1 ½ liters of water in medium low flame. As it boils, stick the cream to the sides of the pan. Repeat the process till the milk reduces to half the original quantity. Also add 200g of sugar to the boiling milk and stir the milk till sugar dissolves.
4. While the milk is on heat and reducing, take the chenna out of the muslin cloth in a bowl. Mash the chenna with your palm till chenna becomes lump free. Mash and knead the chenna till the chenna combines together to form a soft dough.
5. Take small amount of chenna dough on your palm and roll it into small balls. Exert very little pressure on the chenna balls to form crack free chenna balls. Keep the balls on a plate.
6. Simultaneously stir the boiling milk and stick the cream to the side of the pan. In a pressure cooker heat one liter of water and add 5 tbsp of sugar to the water. Bring the water to boil and put the chenna balls to the boiling water and close the lid. Cook till one whistle blows.
7. Remove the pressure cooker from heat after one whistle and strain off the water. On the other side when the milk reduces to half and becomes thick, scrape of the cream from the sides. Mix well, add the chopped dry fruits ( I’ve added pistachios, almonds, cashew nuts and raisins) and cardamom powder to the rabdi/reduced milk.
8. Add the chenna balls to the rabdi and simmer for five minutes and add saffron milk to the rabdi. Take off the heat.
9. Cool it in the fridge and serve it chilled.