Chenna Kheer (Cottage cheese Milk pudding)

Chenna Kheer or Paneer Kheer (Cottage cheese Milk pudding) is a quick sweet recipe that can be made easily at home. There are a variety of desserts that are a part of Indian cuisine and has a special place. No festival in the Indian subcontinent is complete without kheer, whether made of rice, sabudana (sago), sewaiya (vermicelli), makhana (fox nut, lotus seed) or other fruits and dry fruits.

This mesmerising and super delectable kheer is prepared with milk and freshly prepared home-made paneer or chenna (cottage cheese), instead of the most commonly used rice. Making paneer is not a rocket science. You can easily make it at home for better quality and freshness. If you are running short of time then only use the store-bought paneer. For homemade chenna just crumble it with your fingers and add to the boiling milk, but store-bought might be a little hard to crumble, so grate it and add.

This kheer can be sweetened with sugar, jaggery or condense milk. I have used brown sugar for this recipe to get that caramel colour and to avoid white sugar. Believe me, it tastes heavenly! To add more flavour I have used green cardamom powder and saffron. Generally, I like to soak the saffron in little milk to get the colour, but for this recipe, I wanted to retain the natural colour I got due to brown sugar, so added the saffron strands as it is. This way the saffron will not release much colour but only flavour. 

Lastly, I garnished the Paneer Kheer or Chenna Kheer (Cottage cheese Milk Pudding) with sliced almonds and pistachios. To give this grand dessert a royal look I have added a touch of silver vark (foil). This is completely optional and will not make a difference in the taste.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #theblissofcooking on Instagram. You may like to try our other similar recipes like Chawal Ki Kheer-Rice Pudding and Sabudana Kheer (Sago And Milk Pudding).   

Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 90 minutes

Ingredients for Chenna Kheer

For the Chenna / Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
1 and 1/2 litres full cream milk
2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon water

For the Kheer
2 and 1/2 litres full cream milk
1 cup brown sugar or 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coarsely powdered cashew
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon almond sliced
1 tablespoon pista sliced
Saffron (optional)
Silver foil (optional)

Directions for Chenna Kheer

• In a pan; heat milk for chenna. When it comes to a boil, add the lemon juice mixed with water and stir. The milk will separate immediately after adding the lemon juice. The solid part will completely separate. Switch off the heat and let it rest for 2 minutes.
• Strain the mixture in a strainer and collect the paneer. Keep the strainer with paneer under running water so that the excess lemon flavour is gone.
• Let the strainer rest over a vessel, place around half a kg weight on the paneer, to get rid of all the excess water for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 and 1/2 litres of milk in a heavy bottom pan. Once the milk comes to a boil, reduce the gas and let it boil on low heat till it is reduced to almost half. Stir in between to avoid sticking at the bottom.
• Add sugar, stir till the sugar dissolves.
• Crumble chenna and add to the milk. Let it cook on low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add cashew powder, cardamom powder to the boiling kheer and stir to combine well. Switch off the heat.
• Now add saffron if you are using. I have not dissolved it in milk as my kheer is brownish. because of brown sugar and so I don’t want the colour from the saffron but only the flavour.
• Garnish with almond and Pistachio.
• Serve slightly warm or even at room temperature.

Note : To give this grand dessert a royal look I have added a touch of silver vark (foil). This is completely optional and will not make a difference in the taste.