Chhena
Chhena ([ˈtʃʰeːnaː]) or sana are curds or cheese curds, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from water buffalo[1][2] or regular cow[2] milk by adding food acids such as lemon juice and calcium lactate instead of rennet and straining. It is very similar or analogous to cottage cheese.
 Chhena formed into balls to make rasgulla | |
| Alternative names | Chhana, sana |
|---|---|
| Type | Cheese |
| Place of origin | Indian Subcontinent |
| Main ingredients | Milk |
Chhena is pressed and may be further processed to make paneer, a form of farmer cheese or only formed into balls to make desserts such as khira sagara, chhena kheeri, rasabali and ras malai, as well as sweets from the Indian subcontinent (mitha or Misti or mithai) such as chhena jalebi, chhena gaja, chhena poda, pantua, rasgulla, and sandesh. For the sweets, mostly cow milk chhena is used.
History
For the making of what is today called chhena, the Manasollasa recommends the addition of some sour substance (even sour curds from a previous operation) to boiled milk, after which the precipitate was separated.[3]
See also
- Khoa – Indian dairy product
- List of cheeses – list of cheeses by place of origin
References
- Andrew Dalby (2009), Cheese: A Global History, Reaktion Books, p. 73, ISBN 9781861897053
- Sanjeev Kapoor; Alyona Kapoor (2006), Sanjeev Kapoor's No-oil Vegetarian Cooking, Popular Prakashan, p. 118, ISBN 9788179912928
- Achaya K. T. (1994). "Indian Food Tradition A Historical Companion". Retrieved 29 January 2019.