Chanar Jilepi (Chena ka Jalebi) is a popular traditional Bengali sweet which is a wonderful mix of flavours and tastes to delight your sweet tooth. The unique aspect of this dish is that usually Jalebis are made from flour, but this one is made from Paneer or cottage cheese. The combination of the jalebi with Rabdi is our own twist to the recipe to make it more inviting and fulfilling.
Ingredients
- Milk – 1/2 litre (to make 100 gms. Paneer)
- Maida – 1 teaspoon
- Cornflour – 1 teaspoon
- Milk Powder – 1 teaspoon (optional)
- Ghee – 1 teaspoon
- Baking Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon
- Sugar (For sugar syrup) – 1 cup
- Oil for frying jalebis
- Pistachios (finely chopped for garnishing) – 4 to 5
Servings: 10-12 pieces
Preparation & Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 mins.
Method
- Make paneer from the milk by following the method mentioned here. Once done, gently wring out the water using a muslin cloth.
- Tie the cloth and hang it for around an hour so that the excess water completely drains out.
- Before proceeding, check once again by squeezing. No water should be remaining.
- Transfer the paneer to a kneading plate. Add maida, baking powder, milk powder, cornflour, ghee and a teaspoon of sugar.
- Knead all the ingredients well till the mix turns into a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions and make balls out of each. Gently and firmly roll out long ropes out of these balls, and swirl them in the form and shape of jalebis. Make sure to press the part at the end of the swirling so that the jalebi does not open while frying.
- Add oil into a wok and heat it. It should be warm and not very hot. Turn the stove to sim/low flame.
- Deep fry the prepared jalebis in the oil in batches till they turn golden brown in colour.
- In the meantime, prepare sugar syrup by adding a cup of sugar in a cup of water in a vessel. Bring it to a boil. Once sugar dissolves, simmer the syrup on low flame until it reaches a sticky consistency.
- Once sugar syrup is ready, soak the fried jalebis in it for around 1-2 hours.
- Serve Chanar Jilepi with Rabdi to make it a special treat. Sprinkle chopped pistachios for garnishing before serving.
