Chhanar Jilipi / Chhena Jalebi - Fried sweetmeat made of cottage cheese drunken with sugar syrup
This post is
late by more than a week. It was supposed to be uploaded immediately after 14th
June’13, the day of Jamai Shoshthi. I had made this quintessential Bengali
sweet for the first time that day and had dared to try because the day was so
special to my hubby.
Jamai
Shoshthi is a traditional Bengali ritual with a slight religious touch where
the son-in-law is pampered and fed by his mother-in-law. In our decade long
married life, my mother has managed to be with us during this occasion a couple
of times. Needless to say, both the times, she took excellent care of my hubby.
In her
absence, this great responsibility, very naturally comes upon me. I, being a passionately-foodie
and love-to-cook type person, welcome this opportunity to cook up a delectable
spread, which my whole family relish.
This
time,
though I had cooked a range of mutton, fish and typical Bengali
shaak-shukto, I
wanted to make something sweet for him and zeroed in on Chhanar Jilipi
or Chhena Jalebi. This is a jalebi, but unlike the traditional
fermented besan made one, it is made with Chhana (cottage cheese) mixed
with
Khoya (dried up milk).
