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Belgrami
बेलग्रामी: Udwantnagar's firm, chewy chhena sweet cooked down with sugar
Belgrami belongs to Udwantnagar in Bihar's Bhojpur district, where sweet makers have cooked it for generations and travellers buy boxes on the way through. Fresh chhena is cooked down with sugar until it firms into a dense, slightly chewy, pale cream block with a gentle caramel note, then cut into pieces. It keeps for days, which makes it a favourite gift at weddings and Chhath. The common mistake is stopping too early: it must cook until the mass pulls into one lump and no longer sticks to the pan, or the pieces stay soft and weep. Chef's tip: use chhena from full-fat cow's milk and hang it for an hour, so it is dry enough to cook down quickly.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the chhena
- 8 ¼ cups full-fat cow's milk
- 4 tbsp lemon juicemixed with 4 tbsp water
For cooking
- 6 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp gheefor the tray
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Boil 8 ¼ cups full-fat cow's milk, cool 1 minute and add 4 tbsp lemon juice gradually until the whey is clear. Strain through muslin, rinse and hang for 1 hour.
70 minStep 2: Knead the chhena for 3–4 minutes until smooth.
4 minStep 3: Put the chhena and 6 ½ oz sugar in a heavy non-stick pan over low-medium heat. Stir constantly; it first melts and loosens, then slowly thickens.
10 minStep 4: Keep cooking and folding for 20–25 minutes until it turns pale cream, gathers into one lump, leaves the pan cleanly and a pinch rolled between fingers feels firm, not sticky. Stir in ¼ tsp ground cardamom.
25 minStep 5: Press into a tray greased with 1 tsp ghee to 2 cm thick, cool for 1 hour until firm, then cut into rectangles. Keeps 5 days in the fridge.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does belgrami take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of full-fat cow's milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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