Chhena Poda (Baked Cottage Cheese Cake)
Odisha's caramelised baked milk curd cake, dense and nutty with cardamom, cashews and a deep brown crust.
- Time1 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.47 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Boil the milk, take off the heat and add the lemon juice until it splits. Strain through muslin, rinse under cold water, squeeze and hang for 30 minutes.
30 min - 2
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 15 cm round cake tin.
- 3
Knead the curds for 5 minutes until smooth. Mix in 80 g of the sugar, semolina, cardamom, half the cashews and raisins, and 1 tbsp of the ghee.
- 4
Melt the remaining 40 g sugar in a dry pan over a medium heat until dark amber. Pour into the tin and swirl to coat the base.
- 5
Spoon in the mixture, level the top and scatter over the remaining cashews. Brush with the last of the ghee.
- 6
Bake for 45 minutes until the top is dark brown and the cake is firm. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes before turning out and cutting into slices.
45 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
