Chaana (Fresh Unripened Cheese)

A recipe for Chaana (Fresh Unripened Cheese) from the cookbook, Taste of Eastern India, written by Kankana Saxena.

Course Snack

Cuisine Bengali

Keyword Bengali, cheese, homemade, India, Indian, milk

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Resting Time: 30

Total Time 55

Servings 1 1/2 Cups

Line a colander with a cheesecloth folded in half and place the colander in a clean sink.
In a cup, mix the vinegar with the water and set aside. Place the ice cubes in a bowl and set aside.
Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally using a wooden spoon as the milk comes to a boil.
Once the milk comes to a complete boil, turn off the heat and immediately add the ice cubes. Now pour in the water-vinegar mixture and stir. You will notice the milk start to curdle and the water will turn pale green. Carefully pour the curdled milk into the cheesecloth.
Run cold water over the collected curdled milk in the cheesecloth. This will remove the acidity from the cheese and will also cool it down.
Next, gather the edges of the cheesecloth and squeeze out as much water as possible. Then tie the corners into a knot and hang it over the sink for 30 minutes to drain out the water.
After 30 minutes, carefully untie the knot and scrape the cheese out of the cloth and into a bowl. You can sprinkle some sugar on it and enjoy right away with some fruits on the side.