• To start, prepare a baking dish by lining it with chopped banana leaves, creating a natural and aromatic base. Spread a generous layer of ghee over the leaves, making sure to coat them evenly.
• Alternatively, if banana leaves are not available or preferred, one can opt for butter paper or parchment paper. If in a hurry, one can skip the lining altogether and simply grease the pan with ghee on all sides for easy release of the final product.
• To ensure even baking, it is important to preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for at least 15 minutes prior to placing the dish inside. This will help create the desired texture and flavor while cooking the ingredients to perfection.

Making Chhena Poda Mixture

• Take 250 grams of fresh paneer or chenna and crumble it thoroughly.
• Add ½ cup of sugar to the paneer, or you can substitute with ½ cup of jaggery powder.
• Mix the sugar with the chenna using clean hands.
• Proceed to knead and mash the paneer or chenna, similar to how you would knead chapati dough.
• The paneer mixture should have a loose, light consistency, like cake batter. A softer consistency will enhance the taste of chhena poda.
• No milk or water is added initially. If the mixture appears dry, add a few tablespoons of milk or water. Some fat is released while mashing the chenna, which is acceptable.
• Once the paneer mixture has a cake batter-like consistency, add ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder and ½ tablespoon of rice flour. You may also add a pinch of baking soda, but it will not significantly impact the final product. Alternatively, you can use fine rava (sooji) instead of rice flour. Additionally, you may include chopped dry fruits such as cashews, almonds, and raisins.