Malai cham cham usually comprises cylindrical pieces of chena coated with a thick malai or condensed milk. The steps to make malai cham cham at home are quite easy, as explained in my recipe.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Malai cham cham is a very popular sweet dish of India.
- Serve them chilled and enjoy as is.
- Malai cham cham tastes sweet and creamy.
- Other similar recipes are rasmalai, chanar payesh, and rabri.
The Ingredients:
To make the chena:
- 1 liter milk
- 1 tbsp vinegar (or lemon juice)
- ½ cup water
To make the chashni:
- 1 liter water
- 100 grams sugar
To make the malai:
- ½ liter milk
- 100 grams milk powder (optional)
- Food color (a pinch, optional)
I got this recipe from a mother at the annual function of my son’s school. We were backstage helping with costumes and props. During a break, she offered me a small dabba of this dish along with slices of bread. I found it comforting and asked for the recipe for this sweet dish. She explained it while fixing a torn hem.
I made it on the next holiday. My husband said it tasted like teamwork, and my sons called it “stage presentation.” Now, it is our celebration dessert. That busy day reminded me that behind every function, it is mothers who hold things, and sometimes, recipes together without any applause.
How to Make Malai Cham Cham? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take 1 liter of milk in a saucepan and boil it nicely until creamy. Switch off the gas stove.
Step 2: Now, take half a cup of water and add about 1 tbsp of vinegar to it.
Step 3: Pour it in the boiled milk gradually. Mix it nicely.
Step 4: Stir it continuously until the chena and water separate as shown in the image below.
Step 5: Strain the water to separate the chena using a cotton cloth.
Step 6: Squeeze it nicely.
Step 7: Wash the chena with cold water nicely to remove the bitter taste of vinegar from it.
Step 8: Squeeze it nicely and let it hang for about half an hour.
Step 9: After 30 minutes, take out the chena from the cloth and put it on a plate.
Step 10: Knead it gently as shown in the image below. Knead the chena for about 6 to 7 minutes continuously until you get a soft dough.
Step 11: Divide it into small portions as shown.
Step 12: Give each a round shape first. Keep them on a plate.
Step 13: Now, roll each of these round chena balls with your fingers on the plate as shown in the figure below to give them a cylindrical shape. Keep them all on the plate aside for some time to set properly.
Step 14: In the meantime, make the chashni. Take a liter of water in a pan or kadai and add about 100 grams of sugar in it. Let it boil on a high flame.
Step 15: When the chashni boils, put the cham chams in it.
Step 16: Cover the pan and let the cham chams cook for about 10 minutes on a high flame.
Step 17: After 10 minutes, remove the cover. You will see the cham chams have become soft and nearly double their initial size. Flip each very carefully and gently. Cover the pan and let them cook further for about 15 minutes more, but this time on a medium flame.
Step 18: In the meantime, to make the malai, take ½ liter of milk in a separate saucepan and boil it till it reduces almost to half.
(Pro tip: Scrap the malai from the sides and from the milk as and when they form and mix it with the milk. This will speed up the process and make the milk thicker).
Step 19: Now, add 100 grams of milk powder to it. (It is optional). Mix it nicely.
Step 20: Now, use a pinch of yellow food color. (It is also optional). Mix it nicely, let the milk come to a boil, and reduce further. Switch off the gas stove.
(Pro tip: If you have used saffron in the milk in the previous step, you need not add any additional food color).
Step 21: Now, take out the cham chams from the chashni, squeeze them gently, and keep them on a plate. Pour the malai carefully on every cham cham as shown. Keep it in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Step 22: After 2 hours, your sweet and delicious homemade malai cham chams will be ready to enjoy.
Recipe Card
Malai Cham Cham
Ingredients
To make the chena:
- 1 liter milk
- 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
- ½ cup water
To make the chashni:
- 1 liter water
- 100 grams sugar
To make the malai:
- ½ liter milk
- 100 grams milk powder optional
- Food color a pinch, optional
Instructions
- Take 1 liter of milk in a saucepan and boil it nicely until creamy. Switch off the gas stove.
- Now, take half cup of water and add about 1 tbsp vinegar to it.
- Pour it in the boiled milk gradually. Mix it nicely.
- Stir it continuously until the chena and water separates as shown in the image below.
- Strain the water to separate the chena using a cotton cloth.
- Squeeze it nicely.
- Wash the chena with cold water nicely to remove the bitter taste of vinegar from it.
- Squeeze it nicely and let it hang for about half an hour.
- After 30 minutes, take out the chena from the cloth and put it on a plate.
- Knead it gently as shown in the image below. Knead the chena for about 6 to 7 minutes continuously until you get a soft dough.
- Divide it into small portions as shown.
- Give each a round shape first. Keep them on a plate.
- Now, roll each of these round chena balls with your fingers on the plate as shown in the figure below to give them a cylindrical shape. Keep them all on the plate aside for some time to set properly.
- In the meantime, make the chashni. Take a liter of water in a pan or kadai and add about 100 grams of sugar in it. Let it boil on a high flame.
- When the chashni boils, put the cham chams in it.
- Cover the pan and let the cham chams cook for about 10 minutes on a high flame.
- After 10 minutes, remove the cover. You will see the cham chams have become soft and nearly double their initial size. Flip each very carefully and gently. Cover the pan and let them cook further for about 15 minutes more, but this time on a medium flame.
- In the meantime, to make the malai, take ½ liter milk in a separate saucepan and boil it till it reduces almost to half. (Pro tip: Scrap the malai from the sides and from the milk as and when they form and mix it with the milk. This will speed up the process and make the milk thicker).
- Now, add 100 grams of milk powder to it. (It is optional). Mix it nicely.
- Now, use a pinch of yellow food color. (It is also optional). Mix it nicely, let the milk come to a boil and reduce further. Switch off the gas stove. (Pro tip: If you have used saffron in the milk is the previous step, you need not add any additional food color).
- Now, take out the cham chams from the chashni, squeeze them gently, and keep them on a plate. Pour the malai carefully on every cham cham as shown. Keep it in the fridge for about 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, your sweet and delicious homemade malai cham chams will be ready to enjoy.
