Chhena Poda

Name: Chhena Poda
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Odia
Ingredients: 500 g chhena (fresh cottage cheese); 150 g Sugar; 30 g semolina (sooji); 30 g cashew nuts; 20 g Raisins; 3 g cardamom powder; 30 g Ghee; 30 g caramelised sugar

A caramelised baked cottage cheese sweet with a deep brown crust and soft, fudgy interior, originating in Nayagarh district of Odisha.

🇮🇳India· Odisha

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 90 min
Total: 120 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 260 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

Equipment

•Oven or sand-baking setup
•Cheesecloth

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 260 kcal
fat: 13 g
carbs: 28 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 9 g
calories: 260 kcal

Instructions

1
Curdle full-fat milk with lemon juice or vinegar and strain it to make fresh chhena (curd cheese). Knead until smooth.
2
Mix the chhena with sugar, semolina and cardamom powder until well combined.
3
Gently fold in the chopped cashews and raisins.
4
Grease a heavy baking tin generously with ghee (clarified butter). You can line the base with caramelised sugar if you like.
5
Pour the chhena mixture into the tin. Smooth the top evenly.
6
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 45 to 60 minutes, until the top turns deep golden brown.
7
Lower the temperature slightly. Continue baking until a skewer comes out clean and the edges are caramelised.
8
Let it cool completely in the tin before slicing into pieces.

Chef's tips

Traditional versions are baked slowly in banana leaf-lined moulds over low embers for a smoky caramel flavour. Do not rush the baking; a slow bake gives the best crust.

Ingredient substitutions

oven baking → stovetop baking in a heavy pot with sand or salt bed

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Reheating

Serve cold or at room temperature; not typically reheated.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using store-bought paneer instead of fresh soft chhena, resulting in a rubbery texture.
•Baking at too high a temperature, burning the crust before the inside sets.