The Bengali sweet made from chhena and sugar syrup is rasgulla. It consists of soft, round dumplings formed from fresh chhena, a milk curd, and simmered in light syrup until they become spongy and absorb the sweetness.
Chhena is made by curdling milk and separating the curds from the whey. The curds are kneaded into a smooth dough, shaped into balls, and cooked in boiling sugar syrup. Properly prepared rasgulla expands during cooking and develops a springy texture. It may be served warm, chilled, or at room temperature, and versions can be flavored or stuffed.
Rasgulla is closely associated with Bengal and Odisha, and its history is a subject of regional debate. The modern Bengali spongy version is widely linked with Kolkata confectioner Nobin Chandra Das, who is said to have popularized it in the nineteenth century. Odisha also has its own rasagola tradition and received a geographical indication for Odisha Rasagola in 2019. Sandesh is another chhena-based Bengali sweet, but it is generally kneaded with sugar rather than boiled in syrup.