Sandesh Bengali Fresh Cheese Sweet

Method

1. 1

   Make the chhena (fresh cheese): Pour 1 litre full-fat milk into a heavy pot. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once the milk boils, reduce heat to low. Add 2 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice one tablespoon at a time, stirring gently. The milk will curdle immediately — the white solids (chhena) will separate from the greenish-yellow whey. If some milk still looks uncurdled, add a little more vinegar. Once fully curdled, remove from heat.

2. 2

   Strain the chhena: Line a strainer with a clean muslin cloth or thin cotton cloth. Pour the curdled milk into the cloth. The whey will drain through. Gather the cloth and rinse the chhena under cold running water for 30 seconds — this removes the vinegar or lemon taste.

3. 3

   Squeeze out moisture: Gather the cloth tightly and squeeze out as much water as possible. Hang the cloth bundle over the sink for 30 minutes to drain further. The chhena should be crumbly and moist but not wet — when you squeeze a handful it should just hold together.

4. 4

   Knead the chhena: Transfer the drained chhena to a clean flat surface. Now begins the most important step — kneading. Use the heel of your palm to knead and smear the chhena across the surface. Gather and knead again. Repeat for 8 to 10 minutes until the chhena becomes completely smooth, like soft clay, with no grainy texture.

5. 5

   Add sugar and flavouring: Add 3 to 4 tbsp powdered sugar to the kneaded chhena. Add cardamom powder and the saffron milk if using. Knead again for 3 to 4 minutes until the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and pliable. Taste and add more sugar if needed.

6. 6

   Check the texture: The sandesh mixture should be smooth, slightly sticky and hold its shape when you roll it. If too sticky, it needs more kneading. If too dry and crumbling, the chhena was squeezed too much — add a few drops of milk and knead again.

7. 7

   Shape the sandesh: Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape each into a round ball or an oval shape. You can also press them into a small mould or cookie cutter for decorative shapes. Press a sliver of pistachio into the top of each.

8. 8

   Optional — cook the sandesh: For a firmer sandesh, you can cook the kneaded chhena-sugar mixture in a non-stick pan on very low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it just begins to firm up. Remove from heat, cool, then shape. Cooked sandesh lasts longer but has a slightly different texture.

9. 9

   Chill: Refrigerate the shaped sandesh for 30 minutes.

10. 10

    Serve: Serve sandesh chilled. Arrange on a plate garnished with a few saffron strands and sliced pistachios.

11. 11

    Note: Sandesh is the most refined sweet of Bengal — the test of a Bengali confectioner's skill. Unlike most Indian sweets which use heavy sugar syrups, sandesh relies entirely on the quality of the fresh chhena and the skill of kneading. The legendary sweet shops of Kolkata — KC Das, Balaram Mullick, Nalin Chandra Das — are famous worldwide for their sandesh. The seasonal winter version made with nolen gur (date palm jaggery) is considered the finest.