Cham cham

Method

1. 1 Bring the milk to a boil, then turn off the heat and gradually add the lemon juice until the milk curdles.
2. 2 Strain through a cloth, then rinse with cold water to remove the lemon taste, and hang to dry for 30 minutes.
3. 3 Knead the chhena dough with the cornstarch for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and grain-free.
4. 4 Kneading for a full ten minutes is the only condition to prevent the dough from cracking when boiled in syrup.
5. 5 Shape them into ovals and boil them in simmering diluted sugar syrup for 20 minutes.
6. 6 Let the bread soak in syrup for 2 hours, then spread with cream cheese, sprinkle with shredded coconut and pistachios.

With an appliance

• Microwave 1 hr 28 min

  Replace step 5: Arrange the chhena dough in a single layer in a deep syrup bowl, cover loosely, and microwave at 700W for 14 minutes, rotating the bowl at the 7th minute; reduce heat by about 6 minutes. The gentle, even heat helps the dough rise without bumping in the boiling water, thus minimizing cracking. Steps 3–4 still require kneading for a full 10 minutes before shaping.