07 August 2020

Chhanar Payesh / Kheer with Soft Paneer Balls

Ingredients

• Milk 1.5 lt
• Sugar 4 tbs
• Green cardamom 3
• Vinegar 2 to 3 tsp
• Clean cotton cloth

Directions

Take two saucepans, big and small. Pour 1 lt milk in the big pan and 0.5 lt in the small one. Place them on the stove and turn it on. Let them come to a boil and then turn off the burner on the small pan and wait for two minutes. Meanwhile mix the vinegar with two spoons of water and slowly pour it in to the 0.5 lt milk in the smaller pan. Mix with a tender stroke. The milk will curdle (it is called chhana or paneer) and a yellowish water can be seen. Now turn off the heat on the large pan. Next, in a strainer place the cotton cloth and pour the chhana (you can save the yellow water for use in other recipes). Wash the chhana with cold water and hang it for an hour or so while it’s still in the cloth. When it is done, squeeze the last drops of water and place the chhana in a plate. Now with your clean palm knead the chhana into a soft dough. This will take 3-4 minutes. You know it is ready when it looks a bit shiny. Then make marble size balls out of this kneaded chhana. They must not have any cracks! Turn on the gas of the large milk pan and let it boil again. Now drop all chhana balls in the boiling milk. For the first 2 to 3 minutes let them boil in high heat. Then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The chhana ball will double in size. Add sugar as per your taste and cardamom powder. Turn off the heat. Let it cool. The milk will have reduced in half.

Enjoy!