By Shreya Sarpal
March 29, 2026
Fresh chenna shaped into soft logs, cooked till spongy in sugar syrup, then coated with lightly sweetened malai, creates a melt-soft texture with delicate richness that slowly unfolds in every bite.
2 litre full-fat milk 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar 2 cups sugar 5 cups water 1 tsp maida (optional, for binding) 1 cup fresh malai (or thickened milk) 3 tbsp powdered sugar ½ tsp cardamom powder 2 tbsp chopped pistachios 1 tbsp chopped almonds
Boil the milk, add lemon juice to curdle it, strain through a cloth, rinse, and squeeze well to get soft chenna with no excess water.
Knead the chenna for 8-10 minutes until smooth and slightly greasy. Add a little maida if needed, and shape into smooth oval logs.
Boil the sugar and water, add the logs, and cook, covered, on a medium flame for 15 minutes, until they expand and turn spongy.
Remove the cham cham, let them cool in the syrup, then gently press them to remove excess syrup without breaking them.
Mix the malai with powdered sugar and cardamom, coat the cham cham, lightly fill it, garnish with nuts, and chill before serving.