Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1000 mL Milk
3% - 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 4 Tsp Rice Flour
- 2 Tsp Powdered Milk
- 1 Tsp All Purpose Flour
maida or - 1 Pinch Baking Soda
- Ghee
for frying - 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
- 4 Cardamom Pod
lightly crushed - 1 Pinch Saffron
Method
Make soft chhena
- 1000 mL Milk
3% - 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Make soft chhena: Bring milk to a strong simmer, then lower heat. Add diluted lemon juice slowly, stirring gently. Stop as soon as the whey turns mostly clear. Rest 2 minutes. Drain into a cloth-lined sieve. Rinse once with clean water. Hang or rest in cloth 15 to 30 minutes until chhena is moist but not dripping.
Prepare doughs and fry
- 4 Tsp Rice Flour
- 2 Tsp Powdered Milk
- 1 Tsp All Purpose Flour
maida or - 1 Pinch Baking Soda
- Ghee
for frying
Knead chhena with the heel of your palm until smooth and non-grainy (8 to 12 minutes). Split 3/4 portion for strands, 1/4 portion for nikuti
Prepare strands dough: To the large portion of chhena, mix in rice flour. Knead 2 to 3 minutes to combine. Rest 10 minutes covered to prevent drying.
Prepare nikuti dough: To the small portion of chhena, mix milk powder, maida, and baking soda. Knead 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. Shape into ~20 small oblongs (green-pea to small-olive size) using ghee. Keep covered.
Fry nikuti: Heat ghee on low to low-medium. Fry nikuti gently until very light beige (not deep golden). Remove and add to warm syrup. Soak at least 20 minutes (longer is better)
Make and fry strands: Warm ghee on low-medium (not smoking). Press strands dough directly into ghee in short bursts (using a sev maker / perforated ladle / grater). Fry just until strands set (about 30 to 60 seconds). Keep pale. Lift with a slotted spoon and add to warm syrup.
Make soaking syrup
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
- 4 Cardamom Pod
lightly crushed - 1 Pinch Saffron
Make soaking syrup: Boil sugar + water until dissolved. Simmer 4 to 6 minutes (clear, light syrup). Add crushed cardamom + saffron while warm and turn heat off.
Combine soaked nikuti + strands in syrup. Soak 10 to 15 minutes (texture improves a lot). Lightly strain before serving at room temperature or chilled.
If strands break: chhena too dry or dough under-kneaded. Add 1 tsp water/milk and knead briefly.
If strands clump: ghee too cool or dough too soft. Slightly increase heat or add 1 tsp rice flour.
If nikuti taste "soapy": too much baking soda. Use less next time or switch to baking powder.