Ingredients:

• 2 litres – milk, boiled, chilled, malai skimmed
• 2 – glass ice-cold water
• 2 – healthy reethas (soap nuts)
• 5 cups – Sugar
• 12 cups – water
• 2 to 3 drops – yellow food colour
• 1 or 2 drops – kewra essence
• 14 to 15 – pistachios, soaked in water for 3-4 hours
• 14 to 15 – Saffron strands
• 14 to 15 – Sugar crystals (square ones)
• 2 tbsp – Lemon juice, strained, dissolved in 1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Soak reethas in 1/2 cup water, keep aside. Remove outer skin of pistachios, keep aside.
2. Heat milk and bring to a boil.
3. Add lemon juice, stirring gently.
4. When milk begins to curdle well, take off fire.
5. Add 1 glass of cold water immediately.
6. Pour through a clean muslin cloth.
7. Hold chenna pouch under running tap water, to cool fully.
8. Hang for an hour, or press under a heavy stone.
9. When excess moisture is removed, transfer to a large plate.
10. Make sure chenna is not too dry (crumbles) or too watery (sticky).
11. Add food colour, knead well till smooth and soft.
12. Put water and sugar to come to a rolling boil in a large wide vessel.
13. Make medium sized balls of chenna.
14. Insert a pistachio, saffron strand, sugar crystal (one of each) in centre of each.
15. Shape again into a ball, with stuffing in centre.
16. Put into boiling water, remove nuts from water, add this water to boiling vessel.
17. Loosely cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
18. Remove cover, check if done: when lightly pressed it should spring back.
19. Take off fire, pour remaining cold water over balls.
20. Add essence, sway vessel in circular motion, to mix in.
21. Cool to room temperature, transfer to refrigerator for 4-5 hours.
22. Serve chilled, removing from liquid when serving.

Recipe courtesy of Saroj Kering