Cham Cham

Cham Cham also known as Chom Chom or Chum Chum is popular Bengali sweet prepared by curdling milk – Chena – shaping – cooked in sugar syrup – lastly stuffed and garnished with mawa/khoya, dryfruit, dessicated coconut etc. The basic process of making cham cham is similar like rasgulla and rasmalai. Cham Cham can be served as it is with rabdi or can be served with a stuffing. Various colourful stuffings and garnishings are used in making of cham cham but in classic cham cham mawa stuffing is used. This luscious and delicious sweet is perfect for any festival and occasions.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8-10 pieces

Ingredients:
2 cup fresh chenna/ paneer ( preferably homemade)
1 tbsp all purpose flour/aararoot/cornflour
For sugar syrup:
1.5 cup sugar
For mawa stuffing:
1/2 cup mawa/khoya
1-2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp saffron (soaked in 2 tbsp milk)
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp pistachio silvers

Method:

1. Combine paneer and all purpose flour and knead with your palm until it becomes smooth.
2. Divide this mixture in equal parts. Take one and shape it oval. Make sure there are no cracks and surface is smooth. Repeat and complete making ovals with rest of the chenna.
3. Add about 3 cups of water in broad pan along with sugar and turn on the heat. Stir occasionally till sugar melts and starts boiling.
4. Once it starts boiling, gently slide prepared cham cham from the side. Let them boil and cook in sugar syrup for 10-15 minutes. Cover the vessel.
5. After 5-7 minutes, open the lid and gently flip the cham cham, cover again and let them cook. They will become double in size.
6. Once done, turn off the heat and let it sit in sugar for about one hour. Then remove them on wire mesh so excess sugar syrup drains out.
7. While the cham cham are cooling, let’s prepare the stuffing. Crumble or grate mawa, add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, soaked saffron and mix well. Can add little milk if it seems dry and not bind.
8. Now take one cham cham, make a vertical slit, keeping intact from other side. Stuff it with prepared mawa stuffing. Garnish with pistachio greens and refrigerate for one hour.
9. Serve chilled.