AI-generated image
Chhena gaja
ଛେନା ଗଜା · Puri's crunchy fried chhena blocks dipped in syrup
Chhena gaja is the sweet pilgrims carry home from Puri in boxes from the stalls along the Bada Danda, the grand road to the Jagannath temple. Fresh chhena is kneaded with semolina, cut into rectangles, fried until golden and crisp, then soaked briefly in sugar syrup so the outside turns glassy and crunchy while the inside stays soft and grainy. It travels well and keeps for days. Chef's tip: dry the fried blocks for an hour after syruping; the sugar sets into a thin crust.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the gaja
For the syrup
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Make chhena: boil 1.5 litres whole milk, take off the heat, stir in 4 tbsp lemon juice until it splits, drain through muslin and rinse. Squeeze well and hang for 1 hour; it must be quite dry for gaja.
60 minStep 2: Knead with 3 tbsp fine semolina (suji), 1 tbsp sugar and ¼ tsp ground cardamom for 5 minutes until smooth. Press into a 2 cm-thick rectangle and cut into 4 × 2 cm blocks. Rest 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Boil 9 oz sugar, ¾ cup water and 3 green cardamom for 6–8 minutes until the syrup is sticky and a drop between finger and thumb pulls into a single thread. Stir in 1 tsp rose water if using.
8 minStep 4: Heat 1 ¾ cups ghee in a kadai over a medium-low heat. Fry the blocks in batches for 6–8 minutes, turning, until golden on all sides and crisp. Common mistake: high heat makes them brown before the inside cooks, and they go soggy in the syrup.
20 minStep 5: Drop the hot gaja into the warm syrup for 2–3 minutes, lift out onto a rack and leave for an hour until the coating has set. Keep in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chhena gaja take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Potato chakri
Potato chakri are crisp, light spirals made with rice flour and boiled potato, flavoured with ginger, chilli, lemon, sesame and coriander. The potato makes them extra tender-crisp. They keep for about 3 weeks in an air-tight container, so make them ahead for Diwali or guests.
Masala khakhra
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Methi palak dhokra
A soft, spongy, low-calorie dhokra made from soaked black-eyed beans blended to a batter with fresh fenugreek, spinach and green chilli-ginger paste, lifted with fruit salt and steamed. Cut into squares and serve with green chutney as a snack or light meal.