Chhena Poda | Ricotta Cheese Chhena Poda | Indian Cheesecake
A delicious Odisha-special chhena poda with ricotta cheese! Here is my version of the popular chhena poda - the Indian Cheesecake with ricotta cheese!
Servings: 6
Calories: 186kcal
Equipment
- cake pan
- conventional oven
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml; 1 tbsp=15ml; 1tsp=5ml;
- 12 oz ricotta cheese full-fat cheese
- ½ cup powdered jaggery I used the Punjabi Shakar
- 1.5 tbsp semolina roasted or unroasted (fine texture is preferable)
- ⅛ tsp rose essence optional
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ghee melted, to grease the cake pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. In a mixing bowl, add the ricotta cheese and mix it well. I did not strain the water, and I used the ricotta cheese directly from the box.
- Add the powdered jaggery, semolina, rose essence, and ground cardamom.
- Mix all the ingredients until they are well combined.
- Grease a cake pan with ghee and line the bottom of the pan with the parchment paper if using. I used my 6-inch round cake pan.
- Pour the ricotta cheese batter into the cake pan using a rubber spatula. As we are using jaggery, the consistency will be thick. And it won't be in the pouring consistency. So use a spatula to scrape the bowl clean. Tap the cake pan gently so that there aren't any air pockets and even the cake top layer with the spatula.
- Now bake this for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes out clean without any runny batter. It's ok if the toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs clinging to it. Here is my cake after 45 minutes and I turned off the oven but let it sit in the residual heat for 10 minutes. You can bake up to 55 minutes but not more than that for this measure.
- Allow it cool completely for one hour. Run a knife around the cake's edges and gently flip the cake over on a plate. Remove the parchment paper.
- Gently flip it again. Slice the cake and serve.
Notes
- This chhena poda is one forgiving cheesecake recipe. But don't miss all my attempts on the blog post.
- The baking time differs slightly with different ovens, and the timing depends on factors like the cake pan color, materials, etc. So keep an eye on the cheesecake after 45 minutes. Again this is roasted cheesecake, so an extra 5 to 10 minutes of baking will not ruin the cake and taste.
- I recommend medium to fine semolina variety for this chhena poda. The big upma variety ones stand out. Again it's a personal preference.
- You can use any flavorings of your choice. I went with cardamom powder and rose essence.
Nutrition
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 1mg