Chena Murki Recipe
Chena Murki is a traditional Bengali sweet made with cubes of fresh chena or paneer coated in a delicate layer of crystallized sugar. It is prepared by cooking the paneer in one-string sugar syrup and then stirring continuously until the sugar dries and coats each cube. Enjoy this easy homemade mithai for festivals, celebrations or as a simple after-meal sweet.
Servings: 24 Pieces
Calories: 49kcal
Ingredients
- 200 grams chhena or fresh paneer, cut into 2.5 to 3 cm cubes
- ¾ cup/150 grams sugar
- 5 tablespoons/75 ml water
- ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon rose water – optional
- 2 to 3 teaspoon almonds – sliced, optional
- 1 sheet edible silver leaf (vark), optional
Instructions
- Cut the paneer into small, even-sized cubes. If needed, rinse and pat dry thoroughly. Let the cubes air-dry briefly before using.
- In a thick-bottomed wide pan or kadai, combine the sugar and water.
- Heat gently until the sugar dissolves completely, then cook the syrup until it reaches one-string consistency.
- Add the paneer cubes and gently mix so they are evenly coated with the syrup.
- Cook on low to medium-low heat for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the syrup bubbles actively and a light whitish foam appears on the surface.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the pan to the kitchen counter. Add the cardamom powder and rose water, if using.
- Using a flat wooden spatula, stir continuously until the sugar crystallizes and evenly coats the paneer cubes. Gently separate any cubes that stick together.
- Depending on the sugar and humidity, the final stirring stage can take 10 to 20 minutes. Stir continuously until the sugar crystallizes.
- Spread the Chena Murki on a plate or tray and let it cool completely.
- Remove any excess sugar from the cooled paneer cubes and store it separately to use in tea, coffee or milk.
- Serve Chena Murki immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- While serving, garnish with dried rose petals, edible silver leaf (vark), or sliced nuts like almonds or pistachios, if you like.
Notes
- Use fresh, soft paneer for the best texture.
- Pat the paneer dry before adding it to the sugar syrup.
- Cook the sugar syrup to one-string consistency for proper crystallization.
- A flat wooden spatula helps prevent the paneer cubes from breaking while stirring.
- Stir continuously after removing the pan from the heat until the sugar coating dries.
- Refined white sugar gives a brighter white coating, while organic cane sugar gives a finer coating with a light cream color.
- During humid weather, the sugar may take a little longer to crystallize.
- Remove and save any extra sugar after cooling to use in tea, coffee or milk.
Nutrition
Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 0.03mg | Magnesium: 0.2mg | Phosphorus: 0.1mg | Zinc: 0.004mg
