Chum Chum is a popular Bengali sweet dish which is prepared with Paneer, or home-made cheese. It is a versatile dish that can be served in many different variations. It comes in a variety of colors, mainly light pink, light yellow, and white. It is also coated with grated coconut which tasted yummy when served chilled 🙂

Preparation time –  30 min

Cooking time – 30 min

Serves – 4

Ingredients – 

Whole milk – 1 liter

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Sugar –  2 cup

Few Saffron strands

Rose essence – 2 drops

Dry Coconut – 2 tbs

How to prepare or to make Chum chum –   

To prepare homemade Indian cheese or paneer – Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium flame. As the milk comes to a boil, add lemon juice stir the milk gently. The curd will start separated turn off the flame, drain it with a strainer or a cotton cloth

Wrap the curds in a cotton cloth, rinse under cold water, and squeeze well. This process takes out the sourness of the lemon.To take out the excess water, press the wrapped paneer under a heavy pan or squeeze it by adding in a dry cloth.

Place the drained paneer on a dry, clean surface and knead it for 3 to 4 minutes until it become smooth and soft dough.

Divide the paneer dough into equal parts and roll each one into a smooth oval shaped ball and set aside.

To prepare syrup – In a wide saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add sugar and stir to dissolve completely. Use a large pan as the Chum Chums will double in volume while cooking in the syrup.

Add 2 drop of rose essence (optional)

Add the Prepared oval shaped paneer to the syrup and bring it  to  boil. Cook in a medium flame and cover the pan.

Cook for 10 minutes by covering the lid of the pan.

Open the lid and boil for 10 more minutes in a low flame.

Mean while add roughly chopped dry copra in a mixer jar and run the mixer to make a powder and set aside.

Remove from the flame, add saffron strands. Set aside for 10 to 15 min

Remove chum chum from the syrup gently with a spoon

Roll chum chum in prepared coconut powder so that it should coat around chum chum properly.

Serve chilled, Enjoy this soft, spongy, flavorful sweet Chum Chum.

Tips – To prepare pink chum chum add crushed strawberries to paneer and knead which turns pink and flavorful chum chum

To prepare yellow chum chum soak saffron strands in warm milk or water add it in preparation which turns to be yellow colour chum chum.