Chhena Gaja
Deep-fried chhena and semolina pieces soaked in sugar syrup, a classic sweet from the sweet-making traditions of Cuttack.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 220 kcal
Equipment
- •Kadai
- •Cheesecloth
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- fat
- 9 g
- carbs
- 32 g
- fibre
- 0 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 220 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Knead the fresh chhena (fresh cheese curd) until completely smooth. Make sure it is no longer grainy.
- 2
Mix in the semolina and flour. Work the mixture into a firm dough.
- 3
Roll the dough out into a thick rectangular sheet.
- 4
Cut the sheet into small diamond or rectangular pieces.
- 5
Heat oil on medium-low heat. Fry the pieces slowly until golden brown and cooked through inside.
- 6
Meanwhile, boil sugar and water until slightly sticky to make a syrup. Stir in cardamom powder.
- 7
Drop the fried gaja pieces into the warm syrup. Soak for fifteen to twenty minutes.
- 8
Remove the pieces and let excess syrup drain before serving.
Chef's tips
Fry on low-medium heat so the inside cooks through before the outside browns too much. Knead thoroughly, as any graininess in the chhena will ruin the final texture.
Ingredient substitutions
- all-purpose flour → omit for a purely chhena-semolina dough
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Not reheated; serve at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Frying on high heat, which leaves the centre raw.
- •Under-kneading the chhena, which results in a crumbly texture.
Serving suggestions
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