Chanar Payesh - a dessert that is fundamentally made with Milk and Sugar. It is a luxurious, elegant Bengali dessert, a creamy fresh cottage cheese pudding infused with green cardamom flavour, pops of plumpy raisins, crunchy nuts. If you have Chana or the store-bought Paneer in your fridge, it is an effortless dessert recipe for cold winter nights or any occasion.
Pour 750 ml milk into a heavy-duty saucepan and let it brings to a boiling point over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low, stir the milk for a few seconds, then add vinegar gradually and stir the milk with a wooden spoon.
When the milk starts curdling, turn off the heat and wait for 10 minutes.
Then pour the whole thing in a cheesecloth; wash the Chana with cold water and wrap the cheesecloth tightly and hang them in the kitchen tap or a steamer!
To make Payesh
Pour the remaining milk (about 1.2l milk) into a large heavy-duty saucepan or Kadai and over high heat let it comes to a rolling boil.
Reduce the heat to medium, simmer the milk for about 20 to 30 minutes to reduce in volume by about one quarter. Keep stirring the milk at a regular interval to protect it from burning.
Take a few tablespoons of milk in a small bowl, soak the saffron strands into the milk.
Next, transfer the Chana to a plate and by hand smash it.
Then add 2 tbsp sugar into the chana and mix well.
Melt Ghee in a medium-size frying pan, Then add chopped nuts, fry for a minute.
Add smashed Chana and cook for a few seconds. This process makes sure there is no chance to curdle the milk while Chana is added into the simmering milk.
Add sugar to the simmering milk, and over high heat boil the milk for 3-4 minutes and continue stirring.
Then, reduce the heat to low, add Chana and nut mix, break the lumps with a spatula.
Add Cardamom, saffron milk, and over medium heat simmer for another 4-5 minutes.
Then, increase the heat and wait for one last rolling boil.
Turn off the heat, add rose water, give a final stir and cover with a lid.