Sandesh Recipe (Traditional Bengali Sweet)

Making chenna

1. Keep the milk to boil.
2. Line a deep bowl or pan with a muslin or thin cotton napkin.
3. When the milk beguns boiling, lower the heat. Add lemon juice and stir. when all the milk curdles, switch off the heat.
4. Pour the entire content in the lined muslin. Take the four corners of the muslin in your hands and join together.
5. The chenna or paneer would be in the muslin. So gather all the curdled paneer together in the muslin and squeeze the whey.
6. 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.
7. Place a weight like a stone bowl or a stone pestle on the muslin for 25 to 30 minutes.

Making sandesh recipe

1. Take the chenna in a plate or a tray. Knead with the knuckles of your palms.
2. Gather the whole mixture at intervals and then again continue to knead till the mixture becomes smooth and less granular.
3. 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.
4. The jaggery and sugar both will melt and release moisture in the mixture.
5. Add this mixture to a thick bottomed nonstick pan.
6. With continuous stirring cook on a low heat for a total time of 8 to 9 minutes.
7. First the sandesh mixture will have a smooth and molten consistency.
8. Slowly slowly the moisture would begin to dry up and the sandesh mixture would start coming together.
9. We do not want a dry sandesh mixture.
10. The paneer should have some moistness and must not have a dense rubbery texture.
11. Remember the sandesh mixture should have some moistness and not be dry.
12. Also no oil or fat should be released from the mixture.
13. Let the sandesh mixture warm or cool and then knead the mixture again to get a smooth consistency.
14. Shape into round flattened balls or a peda. with a toothpick or fork you can even make designs on the sandesh.
15. Press some pistachio or almond slices or raisins in the center.
16. Serve the sandesh immediately or refrigerate and then serve them. This sweet keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
17. If not serving immediately then refrigerate the sandesh as they get spoiled if you keep them out at room temperature.