Cham Cham/Chum Chum

Prep Time: 20min
Cook Time: 30min
Total Time: 50min
Yield: 10 Chum Chum Pieces

Ingredients

4 Cups Whole Milk (full fat)
2-3 Tblspn Lemon Juice or 2 Tspn Vinegar
Cheese Cloth or Muslin Cloth
1 Tspn Maida/Refined Wheat Flour or Cornflour/Cornstarch (i used all purpose flour)

For Sugar Syrup

1 1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Cups Water
1/4 Tspn Green Cardamom Powder (Ellachi)
1 Tspn Rose Water (optional)

For Stuffing

1/4 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Milk Mava Powder
1 Tblspn Powdered Sugar or add as needed
1/8 Tspn Green Cardamom(Ellachi) Powder
3 Tblspn Almonds or Pistachios, sliced (i used almonds)

Directions

• Add milk in a heavy bottomed sauce pan & let it come to a boil on a medium flame. Once it comes to a boil, add lemon juice little by little by stirring continuously.
• Mixture starts to curdle, there will be a green liquid in the bottom & thick curdles on top (for soft rasgullas do not boil the milk after adding lemon juice). Turn off the flame & keep aside.

• Lay a strainer with a cheese cloth & place it over a large bowl. Pour the curdled mixture in the cheese cloth (rinse the curdled mixture under running water to remove the acidic flavor) & let it strain. Leave it for 20 minutes for the excess whey to drain off & transfer to a bowl. Add maida & knead until smooth about 8-10 minutes. 

• Divide the dough into 10 equal portions & make oval shape balls. Keep aside.

For Sugar Syrup

• Add water, sugar, cardamom powder in a wide sauce pan & boil over a medium flame until sugar dissolves completely. 

• Add prepared oval shape balls one by one & cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes or until they doubled in size.

• Turn off the flame & keep aside. Add rose water & allow it to cool at room temperature. Transfer the chum chum into a plate leaving behind the sugar syrup & keep aside.

For Stuffing

• Heat a pan on a medium-low flame; add milk, milk mawa powder, cardamom powder & stir it continuously with a spatula so that it doesn't get burned at the bottom. Cook till it thickens & starts to leave its sides.

• Once it forms a thick paste or dough consistency turn off the flame & allow it to cool at room temperature.

• Slit chum chum lengthwise using a knife & stuff a teaspoon of prepared mava mixture in each chum chum. Sprinkle sliced almonds over stuffed mava mixture & gently press with a spatula.
• Store it in an airtight container & refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
• Serve chilled.

Note: 

• Stays fresh for 3-5 days when refrigerated.
• For stuffing you can also follow one more method i.e. add 1/4th cup of mawa/khoya(grated), a teaspoon of powdered sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of green cardamom powder in a bowl & mix everything well.