Nikhuti Payesh is my choice for N. The other N I had was Nalen Gurer Payesh, so many to do with the Nolen Gur Jaggery. Since this is a winter ingredient and on top, I have read many Bengali Food Bloggers in Chennai lamenting that they don’t get it here, I knew it was not a recipe I can try. I don’t think there is anybody who was traveling down as well. So I settled with a recipe that I read in some roundup, and only later went on to read the recipe.
I haven’t asked anybody, however, I made a smart judgment of what Nikhuti means in Bengali, based on another recipe that's coming up. I think it means tiny deep fried milk balls. Mostly oblong in shape. So here’s another shaped Bengali sweet for you.
In this Nikhuti Payesh, tiny oblong chhana balls are deep-fried, soaked in sugar syrup much like the Jalebi/ Gulab Jamun types, then once it's soaked, drain it out, and then soak it in rich creamy milk base, that is the Payesh. It is served chilled with loads of nuts in it or that's what I understood.
Anyway, here’s another rich loaded dessert that you can’t eat more than a couple of these tiny ones if you are like me. As you munch on the Nikhuti, the soaked sugar oozes out and then you also get to taste the creamy milk.
One major taste difference I found is that the milk is also cooked with Cinnamon. Again as with other deep-fried paneer sweets, the chhana has to be kneaded very well. The flour is added only as much as it can hold the shape and not more. You can either boil and reduce the whole milk or use condensed milk for a quick kheer.
So this is the second Payesh of the series and I hope you enjoy the rich kick this gives!
How to Make Soft Homemade Chhana for Bengali Sweets
How to Knead Chhana for Soft Bengali Sweets
In this A to Z Bengali Sweets for Protein Rich dishes:
A for Aam Sandesh
B for Bhapa Sandesh
C for Channar Puli
D for Danadar
E for Elixir Sandesh
F for Fruit Sandesh
G for Gajarer Sandesh
H for Hot Chocolate Sandesh Truffle
I for Ice Cream Sandesh
J for Jilapi
K for Khirkadam
L for Lyangcha
M for Malai Sandesh
Jump to:
- In this A to Z Bengali Sweets for Protein Rich dishes:
- Step By Step Pictures for making soft Chhana for Bengali Sweets
- Step by Step Pictures for kneading the chhana to a soft texture
- Step by Step Pictures for making Nikhuti
- Step by Step Pictures for Making the Sugar Syrup
- Step by Step Pictures for Making the Malai
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Notes
- Recipe
- Nikhuti Payesh | How to make Nikuti Payesh
- Pin This for Later!
Step By Step Pictures for making soft Chhana for Bengali Sweets
Step by Step Pictures for kneading the chhana to a soft texture
Step by Step Pictures for making Nikhuti
Step by Step Pictures for Making the Sugar Syrup
Step by Step Pictures for Making the Malai
Ingredients
For the Nikuti
1 cup Paneer / Chhana, crumbled
1 tsp All Purpose Flour / Maida
A Pinch of Baking Powder
Cooking Oil for deep frying
For the Sugar Syrup
1 cups Sugar
1 cup Water
3 - 4 Cardamoms / Elaichi
For the Malai / Payesh
2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Cream
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Cinnamon Sticks
Other Ingredients
Mixed Nuts for garnish
Instructions
For the Sugar Syrup
Take the sugar with water and let the sugar melt and remove the impurities if any. Then boil the sugar with the water and crushed cardamoms till one string consistency or a thick syrup is formed. This will take about 8-10 minutes.
For the Nikuti
Prepare the soft chhana for making Bengali Sweets.
Take the crumbled paneer on a plate and with your heel, knead till there are no coarse grains or lumps and the Chenna becomes very soft.
Add the flour, baking powder to the soft chhana and knead it for nearly 10-12 minutes or till it starts releasing oil to make a smooth textured dough. You can start by adding very little flour to the dough.
Cover the bowl and keep it aside for 10 minutes and divide the mixture into tiny oblong pieces.
Heat a kadai with oil and reduce the flame when it reaches the smoking point.
Gently drop in the Nikuti and deep fry in batches, till it turns golden brown.
Drain the Nikuti and soak them in the prepared warm sugar syrup for 2-3 hours.
Then, drain the Nikuti and serve in the chilled Malai/Payesh you will prepare.
For the Malai / Payesh
In a heavy bottom pan, boil the milk along with cinnamon, cream, and sugar.
Cook on a medium heat and keep stirring. Cook the milk and cream mixture till reduced to 3/4th. Switch off the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick.
Add the drained Nikuti to the Malai. Garnish with finely chopped nuts along with some soaked saffron.
Refrigerate and let it stand for 1-2 hrs.
Serve cold.
Notes
If you want to save time in making the Malai, you can use Condensed Milk instead too.
Add flour only as much as it is required. Else the Nikutis will turn hard.
Recipe
Nikhuti Payesh | How to make Nikuti Payesh
Ingredients
For the Nikuti
- 1 cup Paneer / Chhana Crumbled
- 1 tsp All Purpose Flour / Maida
- A Pinch Baking Powder
- Cooking Oil for deep frying
For the Sugar Syrup
- 1 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 3 - 4 Cardamom / Elaichi
For the Malai/ Payesh
- 2 cups Milk
- 1/2 cup Cream
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
Other Ingredients
- Mixed Nuts for garnish
- Few Strands Saffron
Instructions
For the Sugar Syrup
- Take the sugar with water and let the sugar melt and remove the impurities if any. Then boil the sugar with the water and crushed cardamoms till one string consistency or a thick syrup is formed. This will take about 8-10 minutes.
For the Nikuti
- Prepare the soft chhana for making Bengali Sweets.
- Take the crumbled paneer on a plate and with your heel, knead till there are no coarse grains or lumps and the Chenna becomes very soft.
- Add the flour, baking powder to the soft chhana and knead it for nearly 10-12 minutes or till it starts releasing oil to make a smooth textured dough. You can start by adding very little flour to the dough.
- Cover the bowl and keep it aside for 10 minutes and divide the mixture into tiny oblong pieces.
- Heat a kadai with oil and reduce the flame when it reaches smoking point.
- Gently drop in the Nikuti and deep fry in batches, till it turns golden brown.
- Drain the Nikuti and soak them in the prepared warm sugar syrup for 2-3 hours.
- Then drain the Nikuti and serve in the chilled Malai/Payesh you will prepare.
For the Malai /Payesh
- In a heavy bottom pan, boil the milk along with cinnamon, cream, and sugar.
- Cook on a medium heat and keep stirring. Cook the milk and cream mixture till reduced to 3/4th. Switch off the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick.
- Add the drained Nikuti to the Malai. Garnish with finely chopped nuts along with some soaked saffron
- Refrigerate and let it stand for 1 - 2 hrs.
- Serve cold.
Notes
- If you want to save time in making the Malai, you can use Condensed Milk instead too.
- Add flour only as much as it is required. Else the Nikutis will turn hard.
This is part of the A to Z Protein-Rich dishes, where I decided to showcase A to Z Bengali Sweets with Paneer/Chhana as the main source.
Pin This for Later!
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vaishalisabnani says
Valli I know you are not fond of sweets , had you told me you are making all these Bengali sweets , I would have flown to Chennai , to eat and learn as well !
I guess these are cousins to gulabjamun and Rabri , wonderful , super pick !
gayathriraani says
This payesh sounds amazing Valli. As Vaishali said, if you had told us earlier, we would have helped you with the eating part for sure..
Priya Suresh says
Omg, this Nikhuti payesh is super irresistible, my sweet tooth is craving for some bengali sweets now, after going through all your sweets, its seriously hard to control my sweet tooth. Its out of my control lol...
Rajani says
Nice to know one more variety of Bengali sweet Valli. I was telling my friends about your theme and they were so impressed with it
Anlet Prince says
this is another awesome bengali sweet. Luv the sweets in milk based gravy.
Sharmila - The Happie Friends Potpourri Corner says
Simply awesome.. Love this milk payesh with a fried indulge.
Sowmya:) says
You have such a long list of sweets that I think you can do another round of A to Z Bengali sweets, if you do, please let me know and I will migrate to Chennai for a few months. This dish again looks fabulous and I am super tempted to grab some right away!
Mayuri Patel says
I like the idea of Sowmya migrating to Chennai if you're doing another round of Bengali sweets. Maybe I'll join her 🙂 Such cute little balls swimming in creamy milk... drooling!
themadscientistskitchen says
Me already in Chennai. See I am the best helper Valli has got. These delicious golden balls of happiness in their creamy heaven need to be rescued.too delicious to be left alone.
Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says
You are killing me with those fried chenna. This nikhuti payesh sounds super interesting. Great going.
Sapana says
My bookmarked list is going infinity, seriously that nikhuti kheer looks irresistible. Hadn't I left sugar I would be making it now.
Kalyani says
cute name, lovely kheer and the malai on top 🙂 leave ur job and start a sweet mart, Valli ! U will do roaring business in no time !
Preeti says
Wonderful combination of rabri and gulab jamun...
ruchi indu says
In this marathon, after reading your posts - it feels like I am visiting a bengali sweet shop Valli. Wonderful combination of rabri and jamun..