Malai Chum Chum

Makes 12 chum chums

Whole Milk - 1/2 gallon
Lemon Juice - Juice of 1 lemon or 1/4 cup white vinegar mixed with 1/4 cup water
Sugar - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Saffron - a few strands

For Malai:
Whole Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 tbsp

Sieve the lemon juice so that it has no solid particles. Mix it with 2 tbsp of water and keep aside.

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, making sure not to burn milk.

As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice gradually and stir the milk gently. When the curd starts separating from the whey, turn off the heat.

Once the milk fat has separated from the whey, drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or cotton napkin.

Wrap the cheese in the cloth, and rinse under cold water for at least 3 minutes, and squeeze well.

Once it is drained, place on a dry, clean plate and knead the paneer by dragging the palm of your hand hard for at least 10 minutes until the paneer rolls into smooth soft dough.

Divide the dough into 12 portions and make them into smooth, slightly flat oblong shape.

Mix the sugar, saffron and water in a big wide pan on medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add the chum chums and cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the cover, turn the chum chums over and cover and cook for another 20  minutes.

Take a heavy bottomed skillet, add 2 cups of milk and bring it to boil. if desired, a few strands of saffron can be added to the milk. Turn down the heat to very low and let the milk reduce and cook till it almost 1/4th of original quantity. Add sugar and continue to cook till it reaches almost a thick cream / mawa consistency. Remove from heat.

Put half a tsp of malai over each chum chum and serve. Alternatively, slice each chum chum into half lengthwise and put a filling of 1/2 tsp mawa in between and press the two pieces together.