Recipe - Chenna Poda or Fresh cheese & Semolina cake

Chenna Poda

Ingredients - 

These ratios are for paneer/cheese made from 1 lit of milk

1. Semolina/Rava - 3 Tbsp
2. Sugar - 150 mg (or less or more as you prefer)
3. Baking powder
4. Raisins, Cashews
5. Ghee/Clarified butter - 2 Tbsp
6. Any other flavour you want to add (powder) - Cinnamon, vanilla etc

For paneer/cheese

1. Milk - 1 lit
2. Lemon juice/vinegar - 1 Tbsp max

Method - 

Making paneer/cheese

1. Start heating milk in a pan
2. Before it boils, put the lemon juice or vinegar in it and mix using a spoon
3. Increase the flame to max so it starts heating faster. This speeds up the curdling process
4. Switch off the flame just as the milk is about to boil
5. While the milk is still warm, strain the paneer using a strainer or a muslin cloth. Strain all the water out by hanging the cloth for about 15-20 min or by twisting and pressing it by hand (be careful not to burn your hand)
6. Save the water that comes out. Some of it will be used later

Rest of the process

1. Once the paneer is ready, break it soften it in a bowl
2. Mix semolina and ghee and start mixing again
3. Add sugar and mix it well. Use the strained water to make this task easier
4. If there are any other flavours you want to add, add half a teaspoon of that powder into the mix
5. Pour a little more of the water to make the consistency just a little thicker than a cake batter
6. Put the dry fruits crushed into smaller pieces.
7. Once it's ready, put baking powder in and mix well. Don't over churn
8. Butter a baking tray properly (or put a butter paper in it)
9. Pour the batter in it
10. Keep in a preheated oven at 160 Celsius (320 Fahrenheit) for about 55 min
11. Use the standard knife/toothpick test to see if it's cooked properly at the end of it (Put the knife/toothpick vertically in the cake and see if it comes out clean)
12. Serve as is or with a little sweet cream on the side