Chanar Jilapi | Bengali Chanar Jilipi | Chana Jalebi | Paneer Jalebi

Chanar Jilipi, Chanar Jilapi, or Chenna Jalebi – whatever you call it, it's delicious!

This Bengali delicacy is essentially a cottage cheese twist on the traditional Jalebi. In Bengal (both West Bengal and Bangladesh), Chana is a key ingredient for making sweets, and this Chana-based Jilapi is incredibly tasty. It's like a distant relative of Gulab Jamun in terms of ingredients, and a long-lost sibling of the Jalebi in shape.

I'm still on my quest to master the basics, so I decided to ring in the New Year by making this classic treat. Chanar Jilapi speaks for itself, and unlike usual, I don't have a personal story to share about it! So, without further ado, here's my take on Chanar Jilapi, or Chena Jalebi as it's known outside of Bengal.

Chanar Jilipi aka Chanar Jilapi aka Chenna Jalebi!

Chanar Jilapi needs no grand introduction; its fame leads it. Unlike many recipes where I have a personal anecdote to share, I find myself lacking a special story essentially linked to this particular sweet. Perhaps its ubiquity in Bengali cuisine has made it almost ordinary, yet its deliciousness is anything but ordinary! So, without further ado, let me share my humble attempt at crafting Chanar Jilapi, or Chena Jalebi, as it's often called in regions outside of Bengal.

Whether you know it as Chanar Jilipi, Chanar Jilapi, or Chenna Jalebi, we're all talking about the same delectable delight. This popular Bengali delicacy is essentially the Chana-fied version of the classic Jalebi. In Bengal, encompassing both West Bengal and Bangladesh, Chana (or Chena), that creamy, fresh cottage cheese, rules highest as the core ingredient for a vast array of sweet creations. And this particular Jilapi, prepared with Chana, is truly an experience for the palate.

Chanar Jilapi making- Recipe tip!

And now for a Chanar Jilapi recipe tip! The recipe I'm about to share with you is adapted from a cherished source: Amiya Thakur's "Thakurbarir Ranna-Banna." This isn't just any cookbook; it's a legendary Bengali cookbook penned by a lady who resided within the very household of Rabindranath Tagore. Imagine the culinary secrets and traditions passed down through generations within those walls! "Thakurbarir Ranna-Banna" is truly a gem of a book, filled with authentic recipes that capture the essence of Bengali cuisine. By following this recipe, we're not just making a sweet; we're connecting to a rich cultural heritage. So, let's embark on this delicious journey and create some Chanar Jilapi that's sure to impress!

The perfect coil - not an easy task!

The process of making Chanar Jilapi is deceptively challenging. While the ingredients themselves might seem straightforward, the execution, particularly the shaping of the Jilapi, often proves to be a significant hurdle. Achieving the ideal form, a tightly wound coil resembling a perfectly closed spring, requires a delicate balance of pressure and technique. It’s not enough to just squirt the batter into the hot ghee; one must master the art of swirling and connecting the strands to create a visually appealing and structurally sound Jilapi. I recall my early attempts resulting in misshapen blobs, broken spirals, and oddly connected pieces that resembled abstract art more than the iconic dessert. The batter would either be too runny, causing it to spread uncontrollably, or too thick, making it difficult to pipe at all.

Mastering the consistency, the temperature of the ghee, and the speed of the hand movements all contribute to the final result. However, after countless batches, frustrating spills, and numerous burnt fingers, I've finally reached a point where I can consistently produce Chanar Jilapis that are not only edible but also presentable, even approaching the desired aesthetic perfection. The journey was arduous, but the reward of a perfectly shaped, golden-brown Chanar Jilapi is well worth the effort.

Chanar Jilapi Recipe

Recipe Card

Print Pin

Chanar Jilapi

Chanar Jilapi, also known as Paneer Jalebi, is a classic Bengali sweet made with fresh cottage cheese, or chana.

Course Sweet

Cuisine Bengali

Keyword chanar jilapi recipe, chanar jilipi recipe, chenna jalebi recipe, Debjanir Rannaghar, paneer jalebi recipe, paneer jilapi recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 15 Chanar Jilapi

Calories 273kcal

Author Debjani Chatterjee Alam

Cost Rs 200

Ingredients

For Jilapi

• 2 Liter Full Cream Milk
• 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 3 Tbsp. Milk Powder
• 4 Tbsp. Milk
• 3 Tbsp. Semolina
• 2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
• ½ Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. Green Cardamom Powder
• 10 strands Kesar / Saffron
• 200 ml Refined Vegetable Oil for deep frying
• 1 Tbsp. Ghee/ Clarified Butter

For Sugar Syrup

• 200 g Sugar
• 2 Cup Water
• 6 Whole Green Cardamom
• 10 strands Kesar/ Saffron

Get ingredients with

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• 
• Take 2 liters of milk in a deep vessel.
• Boil the milk on a medium flame for around 15-20 minutes until the milk reduces to ⅓.
• In a small bowl, take lemon juice along with ½ Cup water and mix.
• Reduce the flame Start adding lemon water to the milk and mix with a ladle.
• After sometimes the milk will curdle, and green-colored water will be seen along with the curdled milk.
• Switch off the flame and strain the Chana using a strainer.
• Now take a Muslin cloth and place the entire Chana over the cloth and tie a knot with the opposite edges of the cloth.
• Place the Chana covered with a cloth on a flat surface and place some weight over the Chana for around 30 minutes to separate water from the Chana.
• Take 4 tablespoon of Warm milk in a bowl and add Semolina and mix them properly.
• Now take the Chana on a plate and start kneading with your hand to make a smooth lump-free paste.
• Then add Cardamom Powder, Saffron Strands, Milk- Semolina mixture, All Purpose Flour, and Baking Powder to the Chana and start kneading again till your hands feel oily while touching.
• Divide the mixture into 15 Ping-Pong ball-sized portions.
• Now take one Chana ball and using your hand start rolling the ball into a 5-6 inch long Cylindrical thread of equal dimension.
• Now make a knot by twisting both the edge of the thread. If you found any crack while making the knot then just softly press that portion to cover the crack.
• Following the same process, prepare the rest of the Jilapis.
• We need a sugar syrup of consistency between 1 and 2 strings.
• To prepare the syrup, take Sugar along with Water, Whole Green Cardamom, and Saffron strands in a deep vessel.
• Boil it on a medium flame for around 8-10 minutes.
• When the syrup is almost done, start heating the mixture of Oil and Ghee in a Pan on medium flame.
• Start frying Jilapies on medium flame till they turn deep reddish brown.
• Transfer fried Jilapies immediately to the Sugar syrup and keep them soaked in Sugar syrup for around 2 hours.
• Chanar Jilapies can be served after two hours of soaking in sugar syrup. I prefer to serve Hot Jilapies instead of refrigerated ones.

Notes

• Adding Semolina is a must for making soft Chanar Jilapi.
• Don’t fry Chanar Jilapi on a high flame.
• Don’t over-fry the Jilapies.

Nutrition

Serving: 50g | Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.7g | Protein: 7.6g | Fat: 15.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 110mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 24.1g

Bengali Sweet Recipes

• Potol Mishti (also known as Halwai style Parwal Ki Mithai | Kheer Potol)
• Narkel Chapa (also known as Narkel Tokti | Bengali Coconut Sondesh)
• Komola Kheer (also known as Kheer Komola | Bengali Orange Kheer | Komlalebur Payesh)
• Kamala Bhog (also known as Kamalabhog)
• Gokul Pithe (also known as Bengali Madan Gokul Pitha)
• Khejur Gurer Rosogolla
• Two in One Sondesh; not the ice cream!
• Halwai Style Balushahi!
• Bhapa Doi (also known as Bengali Steamed Yogurt)
• Bengali Mishti Doi (also known as Laal Doi)
• Gurer Narkel Naru (also known as Bengali Narkel Naru | Coconut Fudge Ball | Nariyel ki Laddu)
• Chaler Payesh (also known as Bengali Rice Kheer)
• Doodh Sooji (also known as Mohanbhog aka Suji)
• Taal Kheer | Taaler Payesh | Sugar Palm Pudding
• Bhaja Pithe | Bengali Bhaja Pitha | Monng Daal -er Bhaja Puli Recipe

Dessert Recipes to try

Have you tried the authentic Chanar Jilipi recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!

Please inform me of your experience and feel free to send a photo to dolonchttrj@gmail.com. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.

Here's the Perfect Homemade Chena Jalebi Recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board!

About Debjani Chatterjee Alam

I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.

Learn more about me →