Chhana based Products

CHASKA PODO

Chaska Podo is a baked sweet dessert made with the unique combination of Chhana (fresh soft cheese) and Maska (concentrated curd/Greek yoghurt) with added sugar. It is a distinct product with light brown colour with characteristic cooked flavour and rich taste. It has a moderately spongy cake like texture and soft body and a dense source of energy which gives a feeling of satiety with nutty caramel dairy taste.

The USP is high dairy protein content (14-15 per cent) as compared to other traditional Indian sweets like milk cake, gulabjamun, rasogolla, pantua, etc. It has a fat content of 12-14 per cent which is lower than that in milk cake, peda, sandesh, etc. The added sugar at 18 per cent is also lower as compared to that in most of the traditional Indian dairy products. It provides approximately 1/3^rd RDA of protein and fat. The fat and protein in the product are of dairy origin. It contains natural caramel colour and flavour along with added elaichi (cardamom) for flavour, and can be prepared using other natural flavouring substances. It does not contain any additives like stabilisers, emulsifier, preservatives, raising/baking agent, etc.

The product has a shelf-life of 45 days when stored at 4°C and can be helpful to diversify the product profile of the dairy/food units by utilising existing infrastructure of manufacturing chhana-podo, milk cake, cake, cookies and other baked products, without additional investment.

CHHANA KHEER

Unlike rice kheer and other kheer variants containing cereal(s), chhana kheer can also be consumed during religious fasts.

Artificial colour, flavour and preservative are not part of the recipe. The chhana pieces remain intact in the product and it makes the product more delicious. The product has a shelf life of 15 days at 8°C when packed in polypropylene cups.

CHHANA PODO

Chhana podo is a baked traditional Indian dairy product consumed widely in Orissa and West Bengal. The product is delicious and has a large potential for consumption in other parts of the country.  It is made from chhana, sugar and semolina/rice flour and is often garnished with nuts, cloves and cardamom. The production of chhana podo is by and large still a cottage industry. Commercial production of chhana podo could be done by co-operative dairies through the technology developed and patented by NDDB. The product has a shelf-life of 21 days when packed in laminated plastic sheets and stored under refrigeration (8°C or below).