Fresh chhena — the Bengali fresh cheese made by curdling hot milk with lemon juice — kneaded with sugar and shaped into moulds: sandesh is the most refined confection in the Bengali sweet tradition. The best sandesh in Kolkata is made daily at shops that have been operating since the 19th century.
The flavour is milk, sweetness, and nothing else. Its quality depends entirely on the quality of the chhena and the patience of the kneading.
Zone: River Delta
SOURCE: Adapted from a recipe documented at Nakur Nandy & Sons, a historic mishtir dokan in Kolkata, 2018.
LOCAL NAME: সন্দেশ
INGREDIENTS
- 2 litres whole milk
- 3 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice
- 100 g caster sugar (or 80g nolen gur — see notes)
- 4 green cardamom pods (seeds ground to a fine powder)
- Pinch of salt
METHOD
- Make the chhena: bring the milk to a boil in a heavy pan, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add the vinegar or lemon juice a tablespoon at a time, stirring gently after each addition, until the milk curdles completely and the whey turns pale yellow and clear. Stop adding acid as soon as curdling is complete — over-acidifying toughens the chhena.
- Line a colander with a double layer of muslin or a clean cotton cloth. Pour the curdled milk through it. Gather the cloth and rinse the chhena gently under cold water to remove the acid taste.
- Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Hang the cloth over the sink for 30 minutes, then press under a heavy weight for a further 30 minutes. The chhena should be dry enough to crumble but not completely dry.
- Transfer the chhena to a wide heavy pan over the lowest possible heat. Add the sugar and salt. Knead and stir continuously with a spatula for 8–10 minutes until the mixture comes together into a smooth, slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Do not overheat — the chhena should warm through, not cook.
- Remove from heat. Add the ground cardamom. Knead for a further 2 minutes until completely smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
- Shape while still warm — either by hand into small rounds or ovals, or pressed into carved moulds. Set on a tray and allow to cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating.
- Serve at cool room temperature. Sandesh keeps refrigerated for 3 days.