Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Cham Cham (Chum Chum)
A popular Bengali sweet. Oval-shaped, spongy cottage cheese (chenna) dumplings boiled in sugar syrup and rolled in desiccated coconut.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 6 servings
- full-fat cow's milk
- lemon juice
- sugar
- water
- cardamom powder
- rose water
- desiccated coconut (dry coconut powder)
- yellow or pink food color (optional)
- khoya/mawa (for stuffing - optional)
Equipment
- Large pot with tight lid
- Muslin cloth
Instructions
- 1
Curdle the Milk
Boil full-fat cow's milk. Turn off heat, wait 2 minutes, and curdle it using diluted lemon juice. Strain through a muslin cloth and wash thoroughly.
- 2
Drain the Chenna
Squeeze excess water and hang the cloth for 30 minutes. The chenna should be moist but not wet.
- 3
Knead the Chenna
Transfer to a plate. Knead using the heel of your hand for 5-7 minutes until it forms a smooth, non-crumbly dough. (Add a drop of food color here if desired).
- 4
Shape the Dumplings
Unlike Rasgullas, pinch portions of dough and roll them into smooth, crack-free, oblong/cylindrical shapes.
- 5
Prepare Boiling Syrup
In a wide, deep pot, dissolve 1.5 cups of sugar in 4 cups of water. Bring it to a rolling, vigorous boil.
- 6
The Steam Bath
Drop the cylindrical dumplings into the boiling syrup. Immediately cover with a tight lid.
- 7
Cook on High
Boil covered on high heat for 15-20 minutes. The steam will cause them to double in size and become spongy.
- 8
Cool in Syrup
Turn off the heat. Add rose water and cardamom powder to the syrup. Let the Cham Chams cool completely in the syrup.
- 9
Remove from Syrup
Once cool, carefully lift them out of the syrup and place them on a wire rack to drain the excess liquid.
- 10
Slit and Stuff (Optional)
For a 'Malai Cham Cham', slice them horizontally (not all the way through) and pipe a sweetened khoya/cream mixture into the center.
- 11
The Coconut Roll
Roll the sticky, syrup-coated dumplings generously in desiccated coconut until fully covered.
- 12
Garnish and Serve
Garnish the top with a slice of pistachio or a dot of red jam. Serve chilled.
Cooking Tips
- The cooking technique is identical to Rasgulla. The pot must be large enough to allow the dumplings to double in size without touching each other.
- Do not try to roll them in coconut while they are wet with syrup; let them drain for a few minutes so the coconut adheres cleanly.
Variations
- Malai Sandwich: The chenna is boiled in flat squares, cut in half, and stuffed with a thick layer of clotted cream.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Often found in vibrant pink and yellow colors in Indian sweet shops, and a staple in festive sweet boxes.
Nutrition Estimate
190 calories · 6g protein · 32g carbs · 6g fat · 1g fiber per serving
