Chhena Poda

Ingredients

• 2 litres full-fat milk
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 150 g sugar
• 40 g fine semolina
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 30 g cashew nuts, chopped
• 20 g raisins
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp sugar for the base

Before you cook

• Bring the milk to a boil, take it off the heat and wait one minute, then stir in the lemon juice until the curds separate cleanly.
• Pour the curds through muslin, rinse under cold running water to wash off the acidity, squeeze gently and hang for 45 minutes.
• Line a 20 cm cake tin with banana leaf if you have it, or with baking paper.

Steps

1. Tip the drained chhena onto a board and knead it with the heel of your hand for eight minutes until it is completely smooth and slightly greasy.
2. Work in the 150 g sugar and keep kneading for three minutes as the mixture slackens.
3. Mix in the semolina, baking powder, ground cardamom, chopped cashews and raisins.
4. Leave the mixture to rest for twenty minutes so the semolina swells.
5. Heat the oven to 180C.
6. Grease the lined tin generously with the ghee.
7. Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar evenly over the base, which is what burns to the dark crust.
8. Spoon in the chhena mixture and level the top with the back of a wet spoon.
9. Bake for fifty-five to sixty-five minutes, until the top is deep mahogany and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
10. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin for at least two hours, as it sets as it cools.
11. Turn it out and cut into thick wedges to serve.