Chhanaar Payesh/Paneer Ki Kheer

छानार पायश/ पनीर की खीर

This Bengali version of kheer will surely make you addicted to it as the taste is like heavens and you can’t resist yourself making it quite often.

It is a well-known fact that the Bongs have a sweet tooth and are blessed with endless variants of milk-based sweets, especially chhana or paneer-based sweets. Not only do they love their Sandesh varieties, but they are also prepared to die for the taste of the special kheer or payesh

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As the rice kheer is to the North, Bengal is famous for its well-known semai payesh/ vermicelli payesh and Chhanar Payesh / paneer ki kheer. I wanted to make an authentic version to get the right flavours. To make the authentic version, I roasted the chana or crumbled paneer first so that its rawness is gone. This is then added to reduced milk to get its right texture and flavours. It would be a pleasure to share its authentic version with all

1- Full-fat milk – 1 l

2- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

3- A sieve with a muslin cloth in, to drain the water

1- Full-fat milk – 1 l

2- Chena/crumbled paneer – 1 cup or 200 g

3- Sugar – 200 g or to taste

4- Elaychi powder/green cardamom powder – 2 tsp

5- Some chopped almonds and pistachios – 2 tbsp

6- A few strands of Kesar/saffron

7- Ghee – 2 tsp

1- Keep the milk to heat in a heavy-bottom pan

When you see the bubbles on the side of the pan add lemon juice slowly and stir for a while

2- Switch off the flame and cover the pan with a lid. After a few minutes, the milk will curdle and solid or chhena will separate from the liquid.

3- Separate this solid with the strainer and wash it under running water so that the lemon effect is gone. Keep this aside to cool a little

1- Crumble chaana/paneer with fingers

2-  Heat ghee in a pan and add chaana or crumbled paneer and roast it for two minutes so that its rawness is gone. Take it out and keep the milk for boiling at low flame

3- Keep on stirring the milk so that it does not burn or stick at the bottom

4- Add sugar, elayachi powder and Kesar/saffron and stir well to allow the sugar to dissolve completely

5- Scrape the malai (cream) at intervals from the sides of the pan

6- After 35 to 40 minutes, the milk will reduce to half in quantity and reach a thick consistency

7- Add crumbled paneer or chhena at this stage and give a 5-minute boil to the mix until it gets a thick consistency

*  Paneer should be added when the milk is reduced to half. Too much cooking or boiling makes the paneer rubbery and hard to chew

8- Chanaar payesh or paneer ki kheer is ready to serve

9- Garnish the kheer with chopped almonds and pistachios. Serve this classic Bengali delicacy chilled or at room temperature