Cham Cham Sweet Recipe | Bengali Chum Chum Recipe

Cham Cham, additionally spelled as Chum Chum is without doubt one of the most basic sweets from Bengal. So, there, it can be pronounced as Chom Chom. The phrase ‘chum’ additionally means an in depth buddy. And that’s what this Cham Cham Candy will likely be. When you get to attempt it, you’d positively type a pleasant bond with it! This candy is straightforward to organize, however does take a while and the process resembles that of creating a Rasgulla. This recipe demonstrates a stuffed variation. However you may relish it in any other case too.

What’s cham cham

As talked about at first, Cham Cham, fashionable domestically as Chom Chom is one other mishti (candy) that Bengalis take satisfaction in. And to be trustworthy, it truly is a fab one. Principally, a milk-based preparation, the primary elements of Cham Cham Candy embody curdled milk (chhena), all-purpose flour and sugar.

Milk is curdled to get chenna or coagulated milk solids. This chenna is additional kneaded after which formed in cylindrical or rectangular items, that are then cooked in sugar syrup.

There are lots of Chom Chom variations that could be stuffed, like my recipe right here and even plain flavored with essences, spice powders, and so forth. It is usually not obligatory for this specific candy to be merely white in coloration.

So, you could discover others in shades of sunshine yellow, mild pink, mild orange, and so forth. This mithai (candy) could or will not be coated with coconut and even khoya, which normally varieties the garnish. It’s positively the closest cousin of the opposite Bengali favourite, the rasgulla.

While you make sweets like cham cham or Rasgulla, what one appears for is sponginess, softness and smoothness within the texture. I’m sharing some continuously requested questions together with suggestions with the intention to make completely superior cham cham candy in your personal kitchen.

I’ve compiled the questions from feedback obtained from the opposite chenna primarily based sweets (as the tactic of creating these is comparable) shared on weblog.

Faq for cham cham recipe

1. What needs to be the standard of milk?
Whereas making chenna primarily based candy like cham cham, rasgulla or sandesh, all the time use full fats entire milk. You’ll be able to even use pasteurised milk. Additionally guarantee that the milk is recent and is in its shelf interval. Keep away from utilizing toned milk or skimmed milk.

2. Easy methods to gauge the right moisture within the chenna?
The proper stability of moisture may be very essential to get the appropriate texture in cham cham or a rasgulla. If there may be an excessive amount of of water or moisture within the chenna, the cham cham will break or disintegrate whereas cooking. Too much less moisture, then the cham cham will change into dense or shrunk or flatten after cooking and cooling.

• You’ll be able to simply verify the moisture content material in chenna whereas kneading it. once you knead chenna, in case you see that it’s too moist or watery, then it means there may be extra water. Add a little bit of extra maida (all goal flour) in order that it absorbs the additional moisture. You’ll be able to hold a heavy weight on the chenna in order that a few of the water or whey reduces.
• If when kneading, in case you see the chenna dry and crumbly, then there may be much less moisture. Sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of water to make the chenna barely moist. The moisture helps in binding and makes smooth cham cham, however on the similar time, there shouldn’t be an excessive amount of of moisture or water within the chenna.

3. For a way lengthy chenna must be kneaded?
The time taken for kneading chenna is dependent upon the pressure and strain utilized by the palms. Nonetheless as a benchmark, cease kneading when your palms change into a bit greasy. 

Whereas kneading, some fats from the chenna is launched. So your palms should change into a bit greasy when kneading. At this step cease kneading and form chenna into chum chum. Knead chenna to a clean giant ball and it ought to be capable to come collectively with out breaking or falling aside.

4. Does the sugar syrup has any string consistency?
The sugar syrup for cham cham doesn’t have any string consistency like 1 string or 2 strings and so forth. Its a watery sugar syrup. Because it watery, the cham cham absorbs the sugar syrup and tastes candy.

5. Why has cham cham flattened or shrunk?
When cooking cham cham, all the time use a big pan sufficient for all of the cham cham items to accomodate and increase when cooking. Don’t stir with a spoon or ladle because the chum chum can break. Its higher to make use of a pan with handles on the sides, with the intention to shake the pan by holding the handles and swirling the pan gently. If the chenna is dry, then additionally the cham cham can get shrunk or flattened.

6. Easy methods to verify if the cham cham is cooked?
Firstly the cham cham increase in measurement whereas cooking. Total the cooking time varies from 8 to 12 minutes. The time variations are because of the measurement of the cham cham, the standard and kind of pan, flame depth and so forth.

So after 8 to 10 minutes, you may take away a cham cham piece and place it in a mug or bowl of water. If the chom chom settles on the backside, its cooked. If it floats on the floor of water, its undercooked.

7. Why has cham cham change into rubbery?
If the cham cham items are cooked an excessive amount of, they are going to find yourself turning into dense and rubbery. So don’t overcook them.

8. Can I make coloured cham cham?
After all you may. Coloured cham cham additionally enchantment to youngsters. If utilizing any coloring ingredient, I might counsel to make use of pure coloration extract. So add the pure coloration extract within the chenna whereas kneading, to get coloured cham cham candy. You’ll be able to divide the chenna in two or three parts to get 2 to three coloured styles of chum chum.

9. Is the candy filling important?
No, making the candy filling just isn’t important. You’ll be able to skip it fully. Additionally rolling chum chum in desiccated coconut is non-obligatory and may be skipped.

Step-by-Step Information

Easy methods to make Cham Cham Candy Recipe

Making chenna for cham cham recipe

1. Take 1 litre of milk in a pan and hold it to boil on a low to medium flame. Stir at intervals when the milk begins to get heated.

2. When the milk involves a boil, you will notice a layer of malai or clotted cream which varieties on high. Take away this layer of malai. You’re going to get about 2 to three tablespoons of malai. Maintain this malai apart. We will likely be utilizing this malai to make the candy filling for cham cham.

3. Let the milk come to a rolling boil. Change off flame when milk involves a rolling boil.

4. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice. You’ll be able to even add 1 or 3 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice. The quantity to be added will depend upon the standard of milk.

5. Combine very properly and let milk curdle.

6. Watch for 4 to five minutes and let the warmth cut back a bit. then pressure by means of muslin lined on a high of a bowl or pan.

7. Carry the sides of the muslin collectively, straining all of the whey. Watch out as each the chenna and whey will likely be scorching.

8. Rinse the chenna very properly in working water. This removes the lemony taste and tangy style from the chenna. Then gently queeze the muslin together with your fingers, in order that any additional water is drained from the chenna.

Bear in mind there shouldn’t be extra water or moisture within the chenna as then the cham cham will break when cooking.

9. Maintain a heavy weighted bowl or mortar-pestle on the chenna for 8 to 10 minutes.

10. After 8 to 10 minutes take away the chenna from the muslin. Place on a tray or a plate. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon maida or all goal flour. You’ll be able to even add 1 teaspoon rava or corn flour as an alternative of maida.

11. Combine and start to knead this combination. Mash chenna with the heels of your palms and knead. Additionally carry on accumulating the chenna from the perimeters and proceed to mash and knead. Knead very properly until a little bit of greasiness is felt in your palms. Only a little bit of greasiness is required. Don’t knead until the entire chenna turns into greasy.

If the combination appears dry and crumby then sprinkle some water – about 1 to three teaspoons or extra and proceed to knead. the chenna combination ought to be capable to come collectively with out breaking or falling aside. For a dry chenna, a little bit of moisture helps in binding the combination.

12. Knead chenna to a clean giant ball.

13. Then form right into a log and lower in equal items. You’ll be able to even make small balls from the kneaded chenna.

14. Take each bit and roll them between your palms to a clean cylindrical or rectangular form.

15. Pinch the sides.

16. Make rectangular formed cham cham with all of the items.

17. Maintain them coated with a moist muslin material.

Making sugar syrup for chum chum

18. Take 2 heaped cups sugar (400 grams) in a big pan. Please use a big pot or pan with handles, so that there’s sufficient house for the cham cham to cook dinner and enhance in measurement.

I used a 3.4 litre stainless-steel pan measuring 8.5 inches in diameter and 4.5 inches in peak.

19. Pour 4 cups water (1 litre) within the pan.

20. Place the pan on a medium-low to medium flame. With a spoon stir continuous and blend so that every one the sugar is dissolved.

21. When all of the sugar is dissolved, take away 1 cup of sugar resolution and hold it apart.

22. Then let the sugar resolution come to a boil on a medium-high flame.

23. When the sugar resolution involves a boil, then rigorously place the cham cham within the sugar resolution. Gently shake the pan holding the handles on the sides.

24. Cowl the pan with lid and boil cham cham on medium-high flame for five minutes.

25. After 5 minutes in a delicate stream slowly add the 1 cup of reserved sugar resolution.

26. Maintain the pan on the handles and gently shake it.

27. Cowl once more with lid and cook dinner coated for 7 minutes. I cooked for a complete of 12 minutes. The cooking time will range with the depth of flame, pan sort and measurement and so forth. So the overall time taken for cooking can range from 8 to 12 minutes. Don’t overcook the chom chom items, as they change into rubbery and dense.

28. After 8 to 10 minutes, you may verify utilizing this methodology to see if the cham cham are cooked. To verify take one chum chum and place it in a bowl or mug of water. It ought to calm down on the backside. If it floats then the cham cham must be cooked for a couple of extra minutes.

29. As soon as the chum chum are cooked, swap off the flame. Maintain the pan down and take away the lid.

30. After 5 minutes add 1 tablespoon kewra water or rose water. You may as well add ½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder. combine gently. Let cham cham cool fully.

Making stuffing for cham cham

30. In a heavy kadai or pan, take 6 tablespoons milk powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, 7 to eight strands saffron and ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder.

31. Subsequent add 2 tablespoons malai or cream reserved from the milk once we had boiled it. Additionally add 2 to three tablespoons milk.

32. Combine all the pieces and hold pan or kadai on a low flame.

33. Stirring typically start to cook dinner this combination.

34. The combination will start to thicken. stir repeatedly and cook dinner until the combination leaves sides of pan. let this combination cool fully. Once more right here don’t over cook dinner this combination as then it turns into chewy and sticky. In case it turns into chewy and sticky, then sprinkle some milk or water (1 to 2 tablespoons) on it and gently warmth by means of.

Making stuffed chum chum

35. Place cham cham on a tray and board. with a knife make lower every cham cham on high. Don’t lower the cham cham totally.

36. Pull half the lower sides and place the stuffing within the cham cham rigorously with out breaking them.

37. Stuff all of the cham cham items this fashion.

38. Take 2 to three tablespoons desiccated coconut in a plate and gently roll cham cham in order that the desiccated coconut sticks to the cham cham.

39. Do that with all of the cham cham items.

40. Place every cham cham on a serving plate or tray. Garnish with sliced pistachios and almonds.

41. Serve cham cham. or you may chill cham cham after which serve later. Refrigerate any leftover cham cham items.

A couple of extra sweets recipes you could like are:

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This Cham Cham Candy submit from the archives first printed in October 2018 has been up to date and republished on February 2023.