Chenna Poda/Paneer Cake & Awards

This time for Valli's Indian Cooking Challenge, we were given a sweet dish from Orissa..This was super new to me! Little did i know there existed a Paneer cake & chenna is another name for Paneer :)...I am a big fan of Paneer and i knew i had to make this!

Chenna Poda means Burnt Cheese in the literal sense !! But the taste is no where similar to anything burnt :)).. Valli did share a short history to this dish and here i am sharing the same with you..We all know about Rasgulla and all of us invariably associate this dish with Bengal right??! But i believe this dish is originally from Orissa...Having lost it to Bengal, Oriya Milk Federation actually did a massive campaign to retain this 'Chenna Poda' identity to their State :).. Coming to the present, here's the recipe.. I reduced the recipe proportion and made a very small cake! I choose the recipe from Shibani..

Ingredients
1. Milk - 4 cups
2. Juice of one lemon
3. Powdered Sugar - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
4. Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
5. Raisins - a fistful
6. Cashewnuts - a fistful
7. Semolina/ Rava - 1 tbsp
8. Ghee - 1 tbsp


Preparation Time!!

This recipe calls for fresh Paneer or Chenna.. So, here's how we make fresh Paneer and proceed

1. Take milk in a pan and bring to boil. Stir intermittently so that no cream layer is formed on top. When it comes to boil, switch off flame and pour the lemon juice ( Ensure you remove the lemon seeds)

2.Turn the gas on to low now & slowly keep stirring, till milk curdles and green water comes on top. Remove off flame & keep covered for 15 minutes

3. Then stain this liquid through a music cloth and squeeze water completely & place a heavy object on the curdled mixture for an hour.. Paneer is ready & crumble it.. I got a around 3/4th cup of Pnaeer

4. To the crumbled paneer, add powdered sugar,semolina and then raisins & broken cashew nuts. Use hand and make a dough

5. In a pan, add ghee and as it melts add sugar and allow it melt.. As sugar melts, it turns amber/light brown color.. remove and pour in the pan where you are going to bake the cake and turn well so that it coats the base & sides! This is called caramelizing.. sugar melted should not turn dark brown..then it becomes bitter

6. You need to be quick here & can add a drop of lemon juice, as that would prevent crystallization of sugar! As you do this pre-heat over to 350 F

7. Add this caramelized sugar to mug.. then add the paneer mixture on top. Cover with a foil & make holes using knife

8. Bake the paneer for almost 30-40 minutes or till done. Use a toothpick & insert it in the cake. If it comes clean, you know its done!

9. Remove of oven, cool it for 1-2 hrs & then remove of the mug.. I used a small oven safe mug! Chenna Poda is ready..

Pointers

* The main trick is the caramelizing! Since i took a minute longer as i clicked snaps, sugar started to crystalize and stick to the bowl.. so when i removed it, a part of the top crust did stick to the bowl.. u can see that in the pic

** its a very tasty desert.. reminded me of kalakand!

Sending this to Vardhini's Bake fest hosted by Sumee, Raven's Cook.Eat.Delicious - Picnic Deserts hosted by Geetha and Radhika's I love Baking#3

Its been a long due & here i finally thank the people who made its all worth while by showering me with awards :).. I feel honored & touched that you remembered me & shared your awards with me.. Thanks ppl :) you guys made me very happy!

Hema.. Surabhi.. Farah.. Shreez...Preethi.. Sriya..Sobha,Vandana a big big shout out to you all for sharing with me Versatile blogger, happy blogger, liebester award & Good Food's Fav food.. Your awards adorn my space :)