Photo: Gannu03 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Westbengal · Breakfast

Sandesh

Traditional 18. Sandesh recipe

🧺 Ingredients

• 1 liter full-fat milk
• 4 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
• 100g powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• A few saffron threads, crushed
• Rose essence (few drops, optional)
• Nutmeg powder for garnish (optional)

👩‍🍳 How to make Sandesh

1. Boil milk (8 mins, high): Heat milk to rolling boil. Big bubbles should break surface continuously.
2. Curdle milk (2 mins, high): Add lemon juice or vinegar slowly while stirring. Milk should curdle immediately—white curds separate from watery whey. Stop adding once curds form completely and whey becomes clear.
3. Strain curds (10 mins, room temp): Pour into fine muslin cloth draped over colander. Whey drains through, leaving chenna (paneer) in cloth. Gather cloth edges, hang for 10 mins to drain completely. Curds should become firm block.
4. Knead chenna (5 mins, medium): Transfer chenna to smooth surface or bowl. Knead with palm heel for 3-4 mins until smooth, fine-textured paste forms. Friction from kneading breaks down granules, creating silky texture. Chenna should look like smooth peanut butter, not crumbly.
5. Mix in sugar and aromatics (2 mins, low): Add powdered sugar gradually, kneading as you add. Cardamom powder, saffron, rose essence should be mixed evenly. Kneading should continue until sugar dissolves completely and mixture is homogeneous. This takes 3-4 mins total mixing.
6. Shape sandesh (8 mins, room temp): Using fingers or small molds, shape into balls, discs, or traditional flower shapes. Each piece should be about 1-inch diameter. Traditional shapes: round balls, diamond shapes, flower forms using molds.
7. Chill (30 mins, cold): Place on plate, refrigerate until firm.
8. Serve (1 min, cold): Serve chilled. Sandesh should melt on tongue with faint cardamom-saffron aroma.

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