CHHANA POLAO
Required:—Rice 1 seer, chhana 112 seer, ghee 112 powa, sugar 12 powa, seeds of the big quality cardamoms 14 tola, pistachios 12 powa, almonds 12 powa, raisins 12 powa, saffron 14 tola, white pepper 12 tola, cassia leaves 16 in number, ginger 2 tolas, cinnamon ½ tola, salt 4 tolas, water 3 seers.
Method:—Drain off the water from good and fresh chhana by high pressure, and cut it with a knife in pieces of medium size. If the chhana is too soft to take any form, mix it with about 12 powa of flour. Then brown the pieces of chhana in hot ghee. Heat some ghee in a boiler, cover its bottom with a layer of the cassia leaves; and on them add the rice, washed and dried, along with the cardamom seeds, pistachios, almonds and raisins, peeled and cut in pieces where necessary. Make a paste of or powder the white peppers and the ginger and mix them with the 3 seers of water with saffron and salt dissolved in it. Pour this water on the rice, close the lid and apply a gentle heat. When it begins to boil add the browned chhana. When the rice have almost softened add sugar, the rest of the ghee and powdered cinnamon. Shake the boiler or stir its contents thoroughly so that, the rice undergo complete turning. Boil for sometime again and take off the fire when the mass is fully boiled.
