C :- chum chum

 

Chum chum (also known as Cham Cham) is a popular Bengali sweet made from chenna (fresh paneer or Indian cottage cheese). It's typically flavored with cardamom and can be stuffed or garnished with various ingredients. Here's a simple recipe to make Chum chum at home:

### Ingredients:

**For Chenna:**

- 1 liter full-fat milk

- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar

- 1 cup water (for washing the chenna)

**For Sugar Syrup:**

- 2 cups sugar

- 5 cups water

- 2-3 cardamom pods (crushed)

**For Stuffing and Garnish:**

- 2 tablespoons khoya (optional)

- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

- A few drops of rose water or kewra essence

- Desiccated coconut

- Chopped pistachios or almonds

### Instructions:

#### Making Chenna:

1. Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low.

2. Add lemon juice or vinegar gradually while stirring continuously. The milk will curdle, and the whey will separate.

3. Once the milk has completely curdled, turn off the heat. Strain the curdled milk using a muslin cloth or cheesecloth.

4. Wash the chenna under running water to remove the acidic taste of lemon or vinegar.

5. Squeeze out excess water and hang the cloth for 30 minutes to drain any remaining whey.

#### Preparing the Sugar Syrup:

1. combine water, sugar, and crushed cardamom pods in a large pan. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves completely.

#### Shaping the Chumchum:

1. Knead the chenna well until it's smooth and free of lumps. This might take about 10 minutes.

2. Divide the kneaded chenna into equal portions and shape them into oval or cylindrical shapes.

#### Cooking the Chumchum:

1. Gently drop the shaped chenna into the boiling sugar syrup.

2. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. The chumchum will expand and become spongy.

3. Turn off the heat and let the chum chum cool in the syrup.

#### Stuffing and Garnishing:

1. If using khoya for stuffing, mix it with powdered sugar and a few drops of rose water or kewra essence.

2. Make a slit in each chum chum and stuff a little khoya mixture inside.

3. Roll the chumchum in desiccated coconut.

4. Garnish with chopped pistachios or almonds.

Serving:

1. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy your homemade Chumchum!