Malai Chum Chum: Sweet Dish

Chum chum is a spongy Indian sweet dish. The chum chum or chom chom is made with homemade cheese or paneer. It is a popular Bengali sweet dish that can be made in different colours. Ideally, chum chum is a plain white coloured sweet that is dipped in sugar syrup. However, saffron is added to get the brown coloured chum chum. Have you ever tried malai chum chum? The Bengali sweet dish is stuffed with malai (cream).

Check out the recipe to make malai chum chum recipe.

Malai chum chum, Bengali sweet recipe:

Serves: 10-15 chum chums
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients for chum chum

• Paneer- 2 cups (prepared with at least 1 liter milk)
• Sugar- 2 cups
• Water- 4-5 cups
• Saffron- ½ tsp

Ingredients for malai stuffing

• Milk- 2-3 cups
• Sugar- 2 cups
• Cardamom powder- 1tsp

For garnishing

• Pistachios- 1tbsp (sliced)
• Almonds- 3-4 (chopped)
• Saffron strands- a pinch

Procedure

• In a bowl knead the paneer until it becomes soft and smooth. If the paneer is hard, add little warm water to make it soft.
• Now divide the paneer into equal proportions and roll into small oval shaped balls with your fingertips. Keep them on a plate.
• Meanwhile, boil water in a large pan. When the water starts boiling, add the sugar and saffron, then stir. Boil on a medium flame to make the sugar syrup.
• Slowly add the oval shaped paneer balls to the pan. Stir gently and then bring it to boil. Boil for a minute and then reduce the flame to medium.
• Cover the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes. The paneer balls will absorb water and increase in size. Open the lid at times to allow even boiling.
• When the paneer balls/chum chum look soft like a sponge, put the pan off flame. Let it cool.
• In another deep bottomed pan, boil milk on a low flame. Stir and boil till it reduces to half its volume. Stir at short intervals so that the milk doesn't stick onto the pan.
• When the milk thickens, add sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well and boil for another 2 minutes till the sugar dissolves completely.
• Put the pan off flame once the milk thickens into khoya. Let it cool.
• With a sharp knife end, cut the chum chum from the middle. Stuff with the malai.

Malai chum chum is ready to eat. Garnish with pistachios, saffron strands and almonds. Serve it chilled.