National Milk Day deserves celebration with the best of dairy desserts to make the day even sweeter. So, we bring you a trio of crowd pleasers – cham cham, kheer, and Makhane ki Kheer, all of which are rich in cow milk and oh-so-delicious. If you are lactose intolerant you can make minor substitutions and try coconut milk instead of cow milk.
1. Cham Cham
(Serves 8)
To make chenna
- 1 liter milk
- 15-30 ml lemon juice (diluted with 20 ml water)
For the sugar syrup:
- 315 gm sugar
- 780 ml water
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder or elaichi or rose water
For garnishing:
- 60 gm desiccated coconut
- 60 gm milk solids – mawa or khoya
- 15 gm sugar (powdered, adjust to suit your taste)
- 60 gm pistachios chopped finely
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat on medium flame bringing it to a boil.
- Keep stirring continuously, and add the diluted lemon juice a little at a time as the milk starts to split into chenna and whey. Keep at it until completely curdled; you may not need all of it.
- Immediately add several ice cubes to stop the curdling process, then line a colander with muslin cloth and pour the curdled mixture through it.
- Rinse the chenna under cool running water to remove the lemon flavor.
- Then gather the muslin cloth edges and squeeze firmly to remove excess water. Tie and hang it for 45 minutes to drain completely.
- Transfer the chenna to a clean surface and knead for 3-4 minutes until it becomes smooth.
- Divide and shape into 8-10 uniform oval-shaped balls, ensuring no cracks
- In a wide pan, combine sugar and water for the syrup, and bring to a steady boil. Add cardamom powder or rose water to the boiling syrup.
- Carefully slide the chenna balls into the boiling syrup, then cover and cook on medium heat for 8-9 minutes.
- Transfer the cham cham carefully to a plate and let them cool completely. Then make a lengthwise slit in each piece, being careful not to cut all the way through. Set aside.
- Mix mawa and powdered sugar until well combined for the stuffing and fill each slit generously with the mawa mixture.
- Sprinkle chopped pistachios over the exposed stuffing, then proceed to roll each stuffed cham cham in desiccated coconut coated well.
- Refrigerate before serving, for the best taste.
2. Rabri
(Serves 5)
Ingredients
- 1 liter full cream milk
- 60 gm sugar
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 30 ml saffron milk
- 35 gm pistachios, chopped
- 25 gm almonds, chopped
- 50 gm cashews, chopped
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat and stir regularly to prevent the milk from burning.
- Keep pushing the thick cream layer on top, to the sides of the pan using a spatula.
- Continue cooking, and let another layer of cream form and push it to the side again.
- Keep heat consistent, continue this layering process at least five times, and let the milk reduce to one-third of the original volume.
- Add sugar and stir to dissolve, then mix in the cardamom powder. Pour in saffron milk, stirring to distribute it.
- Let it boil one final time. Then carefully scrape all the collected cream from the sides.
- Add the cream to the thickened milk, turn off the heat, and move to a serving bowl.
- Let the rabri cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally and just before serving, mix in the chopped nuts and serve hot or chilled.
3. Makhane ki Kheer
(Serves 6)
Ingredients
- 375 gm makhana
- 1.4-liter whole milk
- 9-12 green cardamom, husked and powdered
- 75-90 gm cashews or 50-60 gm almonds – blanched and sliced
- 45 ml golden raisins
- 165-180 gm sugar, as required
- 3 pinch saffron
- 90-135 ml ghee
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a large kadhai over a low flame, then add the makhana and cashews. Roast on low heat, stirring constantly until the makahana is crisp and cashews golden brown.
- Remove from heat and separate cashews from makhana, set both aside.
- In the same kadhai, pour milk and heat on medium-low flame, stirring often to prevent scorching or skin formation.
- While the milk heats, take roasted makhana except 80 gm (⅓ cup) and transfer to a grinder.
- Add the cardamom seeds from 4 pods and a pinch of saffron to the grinder and grind into a fine powder.
- Once milk comes to a full boil, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Then add the ground makhana powder, and stir to prevent lumps. Add the reserved whole makhana pieces.
- Reduce heat to a low and simmer, stirring often. Cook for 9-10 minutes, until the makhana softens and the milk thickens. Make sure to scrape the sides of the pan.
- Add the roasted cashews and raisins, and mix. Then simmer for one more minute to blend.
- Check the kheer’s consistency, it should be thick but still flowing. Then turn off the heat and it rest for five minutes.
- Serve hot, warm, or chilled.