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Chhena jhili
ଛେନା ଝିଲି: Nimapara's soft fried chhena patties soaked in light syrup
IndianChhena jhili comes from Nimapara near Puri in Odisha, where sweet shops fry these flat, oval chhena patties all day for pilgrims heading to and from the Jagannath temple. They are soft and spongy, golden-brown outside and creamy within, soaked in a thin syrup scented with cardamom, and are eaten at Rath Yatra, weddings and any good-news visit. The common mistake is using dry, crumbly chhena; it should be moist enough to press into a smooth patty without cracks, so hang it for no more than 30 minutes. Chef's tip: fry in ghee rather than oil for the true Odia flavour, keeping the heat gentle so the outside stays golden, not dark.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chhena
- 6 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 3 tbsp lemon juicemixed with 3 tbsp water
For the dough
- 1 tbsp fine semolina
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
For the syrup
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- 2 cups water
To fry
- 1 ¾ cups ghee for frying
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bring 6 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil, cool 1 minute, add 3 tbsp lemon juice gradually until the whey runs clear, then strain, rinse and hang the chhena for 30 minutes.
40 minStep 2: Knead the chhena with 1 tbsp fine semolina, 1 tbsp plain flour, 1 tsp sugar and ¼ tsp ground cardamom for 6–8 minutes until smooth and soft.
8 minStep 3: Shape into 12 smooth ovals about 1.5 cm thick.
8 minStep 4: Simmer 10 ½ oz sugar and 2 cups water for 5 minutes into a thin syrup with no string and keep it warm.
6 minStep 5: Heat 1 ¾ cups ghee for frying in a kadhai or deep pan, filling it no more than a third of the way, to 300°F; a pinch of dough or batter dropped in should rise slowly with small bubbles. Never leave the hot fat unattended.
5 minStep 6: Fry 4–5 patties at a time over low-medium heat for 6–7 minutes, turning once, until evenly golden-brown.
20 minStep 7: Slip them into the warm syrup and soak 30 minutes, until they look plump and glossy. Serve warm.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chhena jhili take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 35 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.
- What can I use instead of full-fat 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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