Boil milk. As it comes to boiling add 1/2 tsp vinegar. Mix and boom..your milk curdles. Chena and water separates.

Strain the chena. Keep the whey for other uses. (making soups, kneading dough, adding in gravies).

Wash the chena to remove traces of vinegar.

Now the chena taken must not be dry. Put little whey.
Take this chena in a mixing bowl. Mash and mix so as to soften and smoothen the chena.

Next add sugar and continue mash and mix till sugar dissolves.

Next add sooji and repeat mash and mix.
Then add cardamoms and mix.
Add some vanilla essence and mix.
Whenever required add 2-3 tbsp of water/ whey water.

Add cashews and kishmish and mix.

Do not make the batter runny, neither should it be very thick. Take the medium path.

Next prepare for baking.
Take a pressure cooker, remove it's gasket and whistle.
Pour in salt at the base and place a stand upon it.

Now at slow flame preheat the cooker. Keep the stand so that batter doesn't come in direct contact with salt else more heat can lead to burning of the batter.

Next take a baking tin. Brush nicely with ghee.
Place a butter paper. Upon that also brush ghee.

Now pour in the chena batter. Even it. Tap it twice.

Place the baking tin in the preheated cooker and place the cooker lid. Bake at slow flame.

After 35-40 minutes check.
If it's nice and brown it's done else bake for some more time.

Mine took 50-55 minutes for baking. After 50 minutes. Switch the flame off and let it be for 5 more minutes in the cooker.

The aroma is superb and colour

Then take it out. Do not disturb. Let it cool.
As it cools, loosen the sides and carefully revert on to a serving plate.
Be careful it may break as it would be soft.

Remove the butter paper.
Wow...it's ready..cut into sections and serve...

Enjoy Odisha's popular dessert CHENAPODA