Komola Kanchagolla – Bengali Cheese Desserts
Happy Pujo to all my readers, here is a really simple recipe that is fitting for a weekday celebration. It is extremely simple and called kanchagolla because it needs to cooking. The word kancha in Bengali means raw or uncooked and golla refers to the balls or the round shape.
A peaceful virtual world
In today’s virtual world, somethings are a little closer like the flood of puja pictures I see in people’s feeds. Although sometimes it highlights what might be missing as well. The festival season has been somewhat quiet in our house, but I have been happy to enjoy some peaceful quiet moments in the kitchen with the kids and husband.
This dessert is even simpler than sondesh but it is all about technique, the key here is to make good quality homemade channa or paneer, you can follow my video here. I actually have demonstrated the process of mixing and whipping the paneer in the food processor. Typically, the kanchgolla is served plain seasoned with cardamom, or date palm jaggery or nolen gur. In this variation, I have made komola or orange kanchagolla using lot of orange zest.
In addition, I added a pinch of orange color. I have tried this with saffron and feel that it almost mutes the freshness of of the orange. This ends up being one of our favorite desserts. It is so pure and pristine. Easy to make. We Bengalis believe that Ma Durga returns once a year, destroys all evil and returns leaving the world a better place until next year.
Here is hoping and wishing everyone all the peace and simplicity of fall. Combined with cozy and warm winter evenings filled with the comfort of warmth and happiness. Not, unlike the pure melt in your mouth simplicity of a good kanchagolla.
Other recipes with citrus flavors includes this orange salmon and blood orange flourless cake.
A simple melt in your mouth orange flavored Bengali dessert called Komola Kanchagolla.
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- 1-2 limes
- 11/2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
- 3/4 cup sugar
- a few drops orange food color
- Cranberries and chopped pistachios for decorating
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a large heavy bottomed pan and bring to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and squeeze in the lime juice, using a half lime at a time. Stir until the milk solids separate from the whey.
- Drain and gather in a cheesecloth and drain for about 45 minutes.
- Place in a food processor with the orange zest and food color and pulse for a minute or so. Alternately, mash the channa with your hand until smooth and soft for at least 10 minutes. You should feel a little bit of the grease from the paneer coating your hands.
- Shape into small balls a little larger than a walnut. Top with cranberries, sprinkle with the pistachios and enjoy.