Rinse the cheese under running water thoroughly. Tie it in a cheese cloth and hang to drain out the water, at least for a couple of hours.

In the meantime, chop the dark chocolate into small chunks and melt it using the double boiler method. Basically heat some water in a pan, slightly smaller than the bowl containing the chocolate. Once the water comes to a boil, lower heat and place the bowl of chocolate on the bowl of boiling water. Turn down the heat. The chocolate bowl mustn't touch the water. Keep stirring with a spatula until chocolate has melted.

To the melted chocolate add the cocoa powder and vanilla essence and keep aside. Reserve about 3 tablespoons in a separate bowl.

Once maximum water is drained out, tip the cheese on a flat surface and begin kneading it, pressing it down and forward with the heel of your palm, working it on the surface. The kneading is most important and the chhana or cottage cheese should be smooth, and almost like a fine paste at the end of it.

Add the melted chocolate (not the 3 tbsp you reserved separately) and condensed milk to the kneaded chhana and mix well.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan and tip the chhana mixture into it. Cook on medium heat until the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan and come together as a ball.

Remove from heat, add the raisins and mix well. One it is cool enough to work with divide the chhana into 12 equal parts. Sculpt into round balls and slightly flatten each by patting softly with your fingers.

Dip half the balls in melted chocolate you had reserved separately and top it off with roasted slivered almonds.