Cham Cham Recipe

 Here's a basic Cham Cham recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

For Cham Cham:

1 liter full-fat milk

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

A few strands of saffron (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

A few chopped pistachios or almonds for garnishing

Instructions:

Making Chenna:

 In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and add lemon juice or vinegar slowly while stirring continuously.

The milk will start to curdle, and the whey (greenish liquid) will separate from the curdled milk solids (chenna)Turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes

Place a muslin cloth or cheesecloth over a strainer and pour the curdled milk through it to separate the chenna from the whey.

Rinse the chenna under cold water to remove any lemon juice or vinegar taste.

Kneading Chenna:

Gather the cloth containing the chenna and twist it to remove excess whey.

Now, place the chenna on a clean surface and knead it with the heel of your hand until it becomes smooth and soft.

The chenna should be free of lumps and have a texture similar to play-dough.

Shaping Cham Cham:

Divide the chenna into small, equal-sized portions and roll them into smooth cylindrical or oval shapes.

Make sure there are no cracks or gaps in the chenna balls.

Cooking Cham Cham:

In a wide pan, add sugar and water, and bring it to a boil.

Gently add the chenna balls to the boiling sugar syrup.

Cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat until the cham cham are cooked and doubled in size.

Optionally, you can add a few strands of saffron and cardamom powder to enhance the flavor.

 Once the cham chams are cooked, turn off the heat and let them cool in the sugar syrup.

After they have cooled down, remove the cham cham from the syrup and place them on a serving dish.

Garnish with chopped pistachios or almonds.

Your delicious Cham Cham is ready to be served!