Chana’r Payes (Bengali Style Cottage Cheese and Milk Pudding)
10:58 AM
Today is Mahalaya, the end of Pitripaksha and the beginning of auspicious Devipaksha, the time when Bengalis all over the world gears up for the celebration of their biggest festival Durga Puja. At the crack of dawn through chanting of Mahisashur Mardini mantras, we pray and invite the goddess to descend on Earth. (read my last year's post here)
Today is also my and hubby’s birthday. Yes! Like our lives we also share our birthdays. But today all of us are very tired. We just got back from our trip to Orissa and the change of weather has made the baby sick. The maid is also absent for the last 10 days after she got her new dress and bonus for the puja. Now am highly suspicious that she is gone for good and its high time that I look for a substitute. With loads of laundry and a dirty house almost made theirs by the ants and spiders in our absence, I hardly get any time to plan anything for the big day.
I also am very low on energy right now to cook a full-fledged meal for us, so happily shelved that idea of an elaborate birthday meal for another bright sunny day. Rather planned for a mousse cake and good home delivery. But call it family pressure or whatever I at least have got 12 calls since morning with birthday wishes and esquires about the menu for our big night. Finally I had to give in when even my 4 years old niece wished and asked me if I had made payes. So finally I had to surrender and decided on this chanar payes, which my man can’t resist.
Chanar payes also known as ‘channamrito’ is not very common in Bangali mishti’r dokan or sweet shops. Rather very few chosen shops sell this delight in small plastic cups. Chanar payes is always enjoyed chilled with some chopped green goodness of pistachios. This cardamom or keora flavoured thick creamy and little grainy dessert is a delight to eat. The recipe is quite easy to assemble provided you have patience to stir the milk to thicken it to desired consistency. Below is the recipe
Chanar payes
Ingredients:
Full cream milk: 1+1 liter
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Milkmaid: ½ can
Sugar: 2 tbsp or as per taste
Pistachios: few
Green cardamom: 3-4
Method:
Heat 1-liter milk in a heavy bottom pan on medium flame. Stir in between to prevent it from burning at the bottom. The milk will start to thicken and getting reddish hue slowly. Continue doing this for 30-35 minutes till its thick and creamy.
In the mean time lets make the chana or cottage cheese. Heat 1-liter milk in another pan. Once it starts to boil pour in the limejuice. Reduce the flame to low and stir gently. The milk will curdle and clear whey will separate. Strain the paneer in a muslin cloth. Wash under cold running water to get rid of the lemony smell and then hang it for ½ an hour.
Now get back to the boiling milk, which must have reduced, in quantity by now. To this add the milkmaid. Stir gently to mix. Check the sweetness and add sugar as per your taste.
Now get the chana out of the cloth wrap and start kneading it with the palm of your hand. Knead to make it smooth for 5-6 minutes.
Once you are happy with the consistency of the thickened milk reduce the flame and start adding the chana little by little. Gently stir to mix the chana to the milk. Once all the chana is added let it simmer on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Make sure there is enough liquid as the chana will soak up lots of liquid during the process of cooling. The consistency of the final dish should not be runny or dry. So adjust the liquid accordingly.
Once done, sprinkle pounded green cardamom and mix.
Serve chilled with generous sprinkling of pistachios.
A homemaker’s note:
Make sure to wash the chana very well under water, as any trace of lemon will curdle the thickened milk.
Thicken the milk before you add the chana as the milk should not be boiled for long with chana in it. It has high chance of curdling.
The flavouring can vary. You can use bay leaf, cardamom or keora water to give it your choice of aroma.
You can also add saffron threads to add flavour and colour to this dessert.
With This heavenly Dessert I wish you
Shubho Mahalaya!
Tags:
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58 comments
yummy yum pudding..looks very good n lovely platter!!
ReplyDeletefollowing you :-)
hope u'll visit my space too..
ERIVUM PUlIYUM
This looks really delicious and the clicks are mouthwatering.
ReplyDeletelove this..looks delicious and tempting..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and so perfect! What a wonderful treat.
ReplyDeleteB'day wishes to both you n your hubs ~ enjoy!
USMasala
Lovely clicks the pudding looks absolutely delicious..royal dessert.
ReplyDeleteDelicious. Belated birthday wishes to your husband. You made it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThe payesh looks delicious .... I have never tried chhanar payesh ... tomar recipe dekhe ekhuni banate echhe korchhe.
ReplyDeleteThe payes looks seriously delicious.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday wishes to both of you. That is so cool to have both your birthdays on the same day.
wow delicious pudding n nice clicks tooo
ReplyDeleteThat looks yummy.. Loved it..
ReplyDeleteMOuthwatering recipe & awesome clicks......slurrrrrp!!!!!!
ReplyDeletevery delicious and lovely pudding..wonderful presentation and superb clicks..
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday ! Perfect payas for any occasion! Happy Dusshera!
ReplyDeleteTempting and beautiful presentation.. looks so tempting!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely Payes!!! Loved the recipe and equally loved the. Z very happy birthday to your husband :)
ReplyDeleteYummy pudding,creamy and rich,looks divine
ReplyDeleteyummy n delicious...nice presentation!
ReplyDeleteTomakeo shubho mahalaya ,Sayantani.and a very very happy birthday to both of you:)I just came Back from Kolkata.had spend listening mahalaya with my mom after so many years.woke up at 4am to do so.
ReplyDeleteChanar payesh dekhe visit er memory ta aaro taja hoye gyalo.thanks:)
Wish u both a Happy B'Day. What a delicious and creamy looking cheese/ milk pudding!
ReplyDeleteHappy Durga Pooja to you , wonderful dessert
ReplyDeletewonderful presentation n so yummy..
ReplyDeleteLovely, have had this at a sweet shop in Bangalore...Happy Birthdays and Happy Puja...Enjoy it...
ReplyDeleteOmg, wat an irresistible and super rich looking pudding, seriously drooling over that bowl..
ReplyDeleteHappy Pooju ..hope you have great celebrations .....I am planing to make this too ...your looks so perfect and lovely pics
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely deliicous and mouth watering payes. Gorgeous presentation.
ReplyDeletepayas looks delicious n yumm
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to you and your husband Sayantani...the payesh looks so good..thick and creamy..saving this recipe of yours.
ReplyDeleteish tai to !! ekebare gorbor hoye giyeche...next time pakka meet korbo:)Actually I was there for just 4 days.Came back last night.bariri shamne pandal ta bhishon sundor hoyeche..they have named it "haath baraleyee shorgo"Its in KAnkurgachi(phulbaganer pore)If you can do go and see it and take some pics.kolkatar kichu durga pandal er chobi tomar kaach theke asha korchi:)
ReplyDeletelove this recipe. am bookmarking it right away...thx for such a wonderful recipe...
ReplyDeleteSayantani,
ReplyDeleteChanar payesh dekhe nostalgic hoye geche :-D ma banato ...loved the bowl with such delicate carvings ..looks so royal ..ami kono din eyi ta banae ni ..ek baar tumar recipe ta try nischoyi korbo..shobho mahalaya to you too..hugs and smiles
and Oh! forgot to mention wish you both a very hapy birthday too..hugs and smiles
ReplyDeleteDurga Pujor onek shubhechcha janai tomader Sayantani ar belated b'day wishes to both of you
ReplyDeletelovely and delicious pudding !!!
ReplyDeleteCreamy and delicious!
ReplyDeleteLovely presentation and thanks for sharing this recipe.
ReplyDeleteDelicious kheer and the presentation is really lovely.
ReplyDeletelooks so delish...i love ur serving bowl..it looks very traditional
ReplyDeleteOh...one of my fav. Bengali desserts! Lovely presentation, Sayantini.
ReplyDeleteThis looks real yummm!!!!luv puddings....
ReplyDeleteurs look ready 2 serve...
hey belated bday wishes to both of you..I had my bday yest...prepared my fav carrot halwa..
ReplyDeleteI was missing any updates from you..rather missing you...hence popped in..just to find this wonderful mouthwatering recipe...tc
Belated birthday wishes to both of you.Payes just look marvelous perfect for the occasion.
ReplyDeletehaven't tried yet..your pics makes me droooool..:)
ReplyDeleteTasty Appetite
Happy Navrathiri to you Saya. Pudding looks so thick and nice! Posting those pics you asked for in the next post..
ReplyDeleteWow chanay payesh .. i love chanar shondesh and now payesh . Why am I not in Kolkata right now?!
ReplyDeleteThis looks absolutely yummy dear. btw I am coming to Kolkata in Nov .. wanna catch up ? :)
Wishing you and family a happy Mahalaya and Durga Pujo Sayantani!
ReplyDeleteWow excellent pudding...drooling recipe...
ReplyDeleteThe paayesh looks heavenly, Ma banato, aami try korte pari kintu icche kore na.
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying the festival season Sayantani. Its been so long, how have you been? Milk pudding looks so good.
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious. It is a recipe that requires a lot of patience. I'm bookmarking it to make it on a relaxed day.
ReplyDeleteLovely clicks,loved the serving bowl a lot! Nice recipe for the payes too
ReplyDeletelooks delicious & mouthwatering
ReplyDeleteThis has always been on my top five Bengali sweets list. Thanks for posting--brought back some great memories of eating at friends' houses during Pujo.
ReplyDeleteThis looks so perfect and love the click too good...my fav dessert perfect for the festive season:)
ReplyDeleteBelated Happy Birthday wishes to u and your hubby. Your Payes looks so inviting and I have bookmarked this recipe to try it soon. Your Clicks are awesome too.
ReplyDeletewow..that looks so yummy...feel like having it right away...
ReplyDeleteHi, I have made something similar but did not known the name and named it as Paneer Kheer or Crumbled Basundi!! Now I know a name for it. Thanks. Your pictures look very nice...
ReplyDeleteSowmya
http://nivedhanams.blogspot.in/
droolicious and super rich looking pudding, I have to make it soon just for myself this time .
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe.
ReplyDeleteJust have a quick question! Is Milkmaid evaporated milk or swetend condensed milk?
Thanks in advance.