Friday, November 6, 2009

Kesar Sandesh

Any sweet lover will fall in love with the Bengali sweets, so did I :-) I remember having a big craving for Indian sweets while I was carrying my son.  However, with a deep sigh I realized I will also have to make my own since there was no way to buy them. That is when I started cooking a series of sweet, which included Rasgulla, Rasmalai , Sandesh, Kalakhand and oh boy ...what not :-). To my amusement most of them are Bengali sweets and these are all related to each other in one way or the other.

Sandesh

The love for these Bengali sweets started a few years back, when I first had them on a trip to Kolkatha.  My husband and I will never forget that train journey during which we had to make a 9 hour halt in Orissa due to harthal. It wasn't fun with a nine month old baby, my daughter. But all these were compensated once we reached Calcutta, the British capital city.It is one of the most beautiful cities with a heart and soul. We enjoyed the stay as well as the delicious cuisine. If you want to taste a little bit of West Bengal, here it is....

Ingredients

Milk(whole milk)-4 cups
Lemon juice- 2Tbsp
Saffron- 1/4 tspn
Cardamom powder
Sugar-1/3 cup(Add more if you want it to be very sweet)
Pistachios-for garnishing

Sandesh

Method

1.Boil the milk in a pan, stir in between .
2. Once the milk starts boilind add the lemon juice while stirring and let it heat for a minute and switch off the heat.
3. Sieve this through a cheese cloth covered sieve .
4. Keep the sieve with panneer under running cold water for a few minutes.
5. Squeeze out the water .
6. Put the paneer in a bowl and knead it well for a few minutes.Meanwhile mix the saffron with a Tbsp warm milk and keep aside (to get more color you could grind the saffron before mixing)
7.Add the sugar and saffron dissolved in milk and cardamom powder and knead again.
8. Heat a pan and add this mixture into it. Stir well continuously (This is done at low heat)
9. Switch off the heat once the mix starts leaving the sides of the pan. This may take 4-5 minutes.
10.Transfer the mixture to a bowl and shape them.(If the mixture cools down, you will have cracks on your Sandesh like mine :(. So shape them while it is cool enough to handle ) This recipe gives you ~12 medium sized Sandesh.

Sandesh

P.S I haven added only a small pinch of saffron since my family likes it that way :-)

Contributor: Namitha

54 comments:

  1. Wow............lovely clicks dear....yummy yumm sandesh dear..

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  2. WOW!!! They look so lovely... feel like lifting some :)

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  3. Pictures are out of the world as always...I am sure it will taste great too will let you know once I make some.

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  4. Very smooth and rich... makes me want to dig in immediately :-)

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  5. Wow!! Sandesh are so fabulous. I just love them.

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  6. wow!! Looks yummy! Amazing click .

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  7. So did I! SO did I!!
    They look so beautiful!

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  8. very nice and tempting clicks, dear!....looks delicious!

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  9. Bengali sweets are damn yummy! it's so difficult to choose among the umpteen no. of milk sweets the state has to offer :)
    The kesar sandesh looks soft and melt in mouth types :) nice clicks.
    TC

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  10. Yummy mouthwatering sweet...gr8 clicks...

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  11. Yum sandesh has come out perfectly my favourite whenever I used to visit Calcutta I used to have this in plenty and also bring home some.

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  12. love sweets and they look so tempting..will try this soon

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  13. Wow Namii.. beautiful pics.Sandesh looks perfect and yummy..

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  14. Luv Sandesh...and no doubt I'm a total freak when it comes to bengali sweets...yours looks so yummy and delicious..easy to try..thanx for visiting my space..nice to discover yours..

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  15. WoW!!!Kalakkan presentation nami!!Its my favourite too.........am drooling cing the picture..:)i bookmarked it..sure will give a try and let u know da..Thanks for sharing.

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  16. Wow!!!!superb pics....the sandesh looks so perfect. I love sweets and will try it soon.

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  17. Wow...the sandesh looks fabulous...have bookmarked it, will try soon.

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  18. Such a droolworthy and fabulous Sandesh..

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  19. Wonderful. Looks and tastes yummy.

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  20. Thanks a lot everybody...
    Nostalgia, Preety, Sangeetha, Latha, Poornima..waiting to hear from you :-)

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  21. Hi,
    That looks yummm,and so easy I used to think indian sweets were quite difficult to make :)

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  22. Wow!is all that i can say.Drooling already.Great click too!

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  23. Wow.. what a easy sandesh... looks soooo delicious! bookmarked da! Excellent presentation and clicks namitha!

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  24. Wow perfect...ippo enikkum kothiyavunnuuuuuuu...

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  25. Love the gentle colour of saffron the sandesh, so well presented dear.

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  26. ohh nami.. i wish i was staying close to u.. to satisfy my craving.. as u said to do that i will have to make it myself..:(

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  27. ohh nami.. i wish i was staying close to u.. to satisfy my craving.. as u said to do that i will have to make it myself..:(

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  28. Congratulations on your success. This is the most difficult Bengali sweet to make. I have given up long back, just because I could not develop enough skill. I don't eat Sandesh other than 3 specific shops in Calcutta and the hard variety. Some friends send me here in Delhi once in a while.
    happy cooking

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  29. Oh wow! Sandesh is pretty and nice! Looks sumptuous too!

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  30. Simply just too perfect!My husband loves these and I am definitely giving them a go!

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  31. Pic makes me to drool. Yummy!!

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  32. Looks like something I couldn't stop eating until they are gone!

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  33. wow ..yummy dish ...
    I liked your blog and I have become your follower and I'll visit your blog regularily.

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  34. Thanks for all the lovely comments..Ushnish, Thanks a lot. It's like an award when it comes from you, I mean in this case :D

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  35. beautiful pic with a tempting look.

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  36. Wow sandesh looks so perfect! Will try this for sure...

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  37. sandesh looks yummy! i never knew you could make bengali sweets at home! now i know. silll surely try this out......

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  38. wooooow!y u tempting me dear?
    will try it soon tnx

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  39. sandesh luking mouthwatering n nice click.

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  40. Looks so good, lovelyyyyyyyyy click.

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  41. I can almost pick them out of the screen and relish!! I am gonna give it a try soon :)

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  42. I can almost pick them out of the screen and relish!! I am gonna give it a try soon :)

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  43. Wow....it looks fabulous.I think I should come live nearer to ur place.Maybe you would invite me over for tea.

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  44. Thank you guys...Anitha, Mystery mom,Sangi,Rohini..pl let me know once you try it :-)

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  45. That looks amazingly delicious! It makes me hungry for dessert:)

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  46. beautiful snadesh.. it looks sooo yummy, i feel like taking one out of the pic

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  47. Looks amazing and I am sure it tastes super too.

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  48. You explained it well. Let me try it and I will ask you, if I have any questions.

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