Chhena Poda is a traditional Odia sweet. This easy recipe calls for store-bought paneer as the main ingredient, and the result is addictive slices, it’s hard to stop at one.
You can make Chhena Poda with homemade chhena/fresh cottage cheese, or you can use store-bought fresh Malai Paneer. Make sure that the paneer you’re using is fresh and soft. I’ve used store-bought paneer for this recipe.
Add the crushed paneer and milk to a mixer/food processor, process until smooth. Transfer the blended chhena to a bowl, make sure that there is no lump in the chhena before you’re adding the other ingredients into it.
Prepare a 6” round cake pan by greasing with ghee and place a piece of baking paper at the bottom of the pan.
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
Add suji, sugar, ghee, and cardamom powder to the blended paneer. Start mixing by using your fingers, keep mixing the chhena mixture until everything comes together and a thick, smooth batter forms. It should take 2-3 minutes.
Transfer this chhena mixture to the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes (read note) or until the top of the Chhena Poda turns dark brown in colour. Rotate the pan after every 30 minutes if you’re using an OTG. At the end of the baking time, a wooden skewer inserted to the center of the Chhena Poda would come out clean.
Cool Chhena Poda in the pan for 15 minutes and then run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and carefully remove it. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave there until cool completely.
When cooled slice, serve, and enjoy! Keep rest of the slices refrigerated and consume within a week.