Chenna Poda ( Indian Cheese Cake)

This month Srivalli announced Chenna Poda ( Indian Cheese cake ) for Indian Cooking Challenge. I could not participate in ICC for quite few months.. As soon as I saw this recipe for this month’s challenge, I wanted to try it immediately and I made this last week..
We have 2 process here to make this delicious sweet.
Cheese making and baking of chenna poda

I followed the recipe from Titilating tastebuds

For Cheese
Milk ( I used  reduced fat milk ) – 1 to 1.5 gallon
Lemon juice -  1 cup
Ice cubes – 2 cups
Cheese cloth or any soft cloth ( like pillow cover )
Preparation
Bring the milk to boil. In the meantime , Squeeze lemons to get juice for about 1 cup. Pour the lemon juice slowly into the boiling milk. You will see that milk cuddles and water gets separated. Now add the ice cubes and turn off the stove.
Adding ice cubes will stop the cuddling process.
Filter the cheese / water through cheese cloth and hang the cheese cloth for 15 – 20 mins so that all water drains out.
The cheese is now ready to be used for baking chenna poda. ( Note , you can use this cheese not only for this recipe but also for other yummy sweets
     
For Chenna Poda
Ingredients
1) Cheese – 1 to 1.5  lb
2) Sugar – 1.5 cup ( 1 cup for cheese cake and 1/2 cup for Caramel )
3) Sooji or Rava – 2 tbsp. ( Soak this in water )
4)Cashews – 2 tbsp
5) Raisins – 2 tbsp..
6) cardamom powder – 1 tsp
7) water – for caramel preparation – 1/2 cup
8) Ghee / oil – little for frying cashews/raisins
Preparation
Caramel preparation – Pour 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar and boil it until the sugar syrup thickens and becomes light brown ( amber color ) .. Immediately pour it to the baking dish ( do not delay to pour or the syrup will be crystallized )
Preheat the oven to 350° F . Now mix the Cheese , soaked sooji and sugar in the bowl along with cardamom , fried cashews / raisins . Knead it well for 5 – 10 mins. Spread the mixture on top of caramel in the baking dish and ;level it.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and make some cuts on the top of foil. Bake it for 35 – 45 mins. After 45 mins , insert the toothpick or knife to see it comes out clean. Remove the baking dish and cool it.
If you prefer to have it cold , keep it in refrigerator or microwave for few secs and serve warm..