
Sandesh Recipe
Sandesh, referred to as Shondesh in Bengali, stands as a well-loved sweet delicacy originating from Bengal. Crafted from chenna or paneer, along with sugar or jaggery, this treat incorporates nuts and flavorings, creating a delightful milk-based confection.
Ingredients
- 1 litre whole milk
- 1 to 1.5 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar or add as required
- 2 tablespoons palm jaggery or substitute with 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons sugar or as required
- 4 to 5 pistachios or 4 to 5 almonds, sliced or 10 to 12 golden raisins
Instructions
Making Chenna
- Keep the milk to boil.
- Line a deep bowl or pan with a muslin or thin cotton napkin.
- When the milk beguns boiling, lower the heat. Add lemon juice and stir. when all the milk curdles, switch off the heat.
- Pour the entire content in the lined muslin. Take the four corners of the muslin in your hands and join together.
- The chenna or paneer would be in the muslin. So gather all the curdled paneer together in the muslin and squeeze the whey.
- Rinse the chenna with the muslin in running water very lightly. This is to remove the sourness of the lemon juice or vinegar from the paneer.
- Place a weight like a stone bowl or a stone pestle on the muslin for 25 to 30 minutes.
Making Sandesh Recipe
- Take the chenna in a plate or a tray. Knead with the knuckles of your palms.
- Gather the whole mixture at intervals and then again continue to knead till the mixture becomes smooth and less granular.
- Add jaggery and sugar and knead for 2 to 3 minutes again. Instead of kneading, you can also blend this mixture in a small blender or mixer-grinder.
- The jaggery and sugar both will melt and release moisture in the mixture.
- Add this mixture to a thick bottomed nonstick pan.
- With continuous stirring cook on a low heat for a total time of 8 to 9 minutes.
- First the sandesh mixture will have a smooth and molten consistency.
- Slowly slowly the moisture would begin to dry up and the sandesh mixture would start coming together.
- We do not want a dry sandesh mixture.
- The paneer should have some moistness and must not have a dense rubbery texture.
- Remember the sandesh mixture should have some moistness and not be dry.
- Also no oil or fat should be released from the mixture.
- Let the sandesh mixture warm or cool and then knead the mixture again to get a smooth consistency.
- Shape into round flattened balls or a peda. with a toothpick or fork you can even make designs on the sandesh.
- Press some pistachio or almond slices or raisins in the center.
- Serve the sandesh immediately or refrigerate and then serve them. This sweet keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- If not serving immediately then refrigerate the sandesh as they get spoiled if you keep them out at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 25mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
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