Chhena poda
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| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | Odisha |
| Main ingredients | Chhena cheese, sugar, cashew nuts and raisins |
Chhena poda(Odia: ) is a cheese dessert from the state of Odisha in eastern India. Chhena poda literally means Roasted Cheese in Odia. It is made of well-kneaded homemade fresh cheese chhena, sugar, cashew nuts and raisins, and is baked for several hours until it browns. Chhena poda is the only well known Indian dessert whose flavor is predominantly derived from the caramelization of sugar.
It is said that chhenapoda originated in the Odia town of Nayagarh in the first half of the twentieth century. The owner of a confectionery, a certain Sudarshana Sahoo decided to add sugar and seasonings to leftover cottage cheese one night, and left it in an oven that was still warm from earlier use. The next day, he was pleasantly surprised to find out what a scrumptious dessert he had created. Today, it is also made and is popular in many states of India. Also it is a very famous and popular desert in coastal Odisha, India.
Demand and sale of chhenapoda is huge in Odisha with every sweet shop preparing its own flavour either from sugar or gud (jaggery). Its shape of a cake often attracts a huge visitors to grab a bite and take it home as a "Taste of Odisha".
Chhena poda is usually made at home during traditional festivals in Odisha, such as Durga Puja. It is also served in small traditional roadside stalls and confectioneries throughout the state along with other delicacies such as rasagolla. Since the mid-1980s, it has gradually found its place in restaurant menus across Odisha. Odisha Milk Federation is investing heavily in mass-producing and popularizing this delicacy, determined not to let this happen again.
Ingredients
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