FUDGE - SANDESH
Bengali Sandesh #1
Freshly made paneer ½ cup
Milk 2 tbsps.
Powered Sugar 4 tsps.
Rose or kewra essence, few drops
Silver foil or fruit pieces
Blend all the ingredients in a mixer. Spread on a serving plate and decorate with silver foil or fruits. Cool. Cut into pieces and offer.
Bengali Sandesh #2
Chenna from 2 litres milk
Brown sugar 1 cup
Skim milk powder 1-1/2 cup
Elachi (cardamom) powder from 3/4 pods
Unsalted butter 1-1/2 tbls
Melt down sugar in less than 1/2 cup of water in microwave. Cook chenna with brown sugar on stove in medium heat until a bit dry. Add ghee, stir, add skim milk powder slowly. When sticky off the stove, put in the food processor and knead. Then take 1 tblsp full and press it into a mold to make different shapes.
Bengali Sondesh #3
1 litre milk preboiled and top cream removed
1/2 tsp. citric acid or juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. cornflour
1/2 cup sugar ground fine
1/4 tsp. essence of choice (rose, vanilla, etc.)
few drops colour to match essence
For topping:
1 tsp. slivered pistas (pistachios) and almonds
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
Small molds of choice
Make paneer in the usual way. Strain in clean muslin cloth. Hold under running water for a minute. Press out excess water and hang for 15 minutes. Empty the paneer into a large plate. Take 2 tbsp. of paneer in a heavy pan and add cornflour. Heat on medium flame, stirring continuously for 3-4 minutes. Cool, add to paneer in plate, add sugar, essence and colour. Mix till very smooth. Lightly grease and dust moulds with ghee and cornflour. Mix topping ingredients. Sprinkle a little topping in each mold. Press paneer mixture into it and level top. Chill for 3-4 hours. Unmold carefully. Serve chilled in individual paper cups. Note: If paneer is quite firm then cornflour can be omitted. Continue without that step. No cooking is then required.
Bhapa Sandesh
Panir 2-1/2 cups
Powdered sugar 1 cup
Essence of your choice, a few drops
Unsalted butter 1 tsp.
Blend panir, sugar and essence in a mixie. Take a covered tiffin box, smear the box with butter, and pour in the panir mixture. Close the lid of the box tightly. Pour some water in a pressure cooker and put in the closed tiffin box and cook for five whistles, then remove and open the lid of the box. Cut the panir into pieces of your choice, decorate with rose petals and refrigerate for 2 hours, then offer cold.
Orange Boat
2 medium Oranges
8 small pieces Sandesh
4 Tbsp beaten Sweet Cream
2 Drops Orange Food Colour
½ Tbsp Chopped Pistachio
½ Tbsp Chopped Almonds
Soak the pistachios and almonds in water, remove the skin, and chop. Cut the top off the Orange and scoop out from inside in a way that the peel is intact, so it takes the shape of a round bowl. Mix together sandesh, cream, and colour in a bowl then spoon the mixture into the orange, filling it up just so you can cover with the orange lid. Let it set in the freezer for 3-4 hours. When properly set, cut each Orange into 4 parts so they resemble little boats. On each side decorate properly with pistachio and almonds. Cool again and offer chilled.
Sandesh #1
2-1/2 cups paneer
1-3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp Green elaichi powder
Few drops of essence (kewda, rose water or vanilla)
Knead the paneer into a smooth paste. In a pan, fry the kneaded paneer and sugar over mild heat stirring all the time. Remove from the heat when the mixture-leaves the sides of the pan and when the sugar has melted. Then you can add essence or elaichi powder for a finer taste. Form into balls or press into molds to shape. Cool and offer.
Sandesh #2
Paneer - 1-1/4 cups
Castor sugar - 1/3 cup
Rose water -a few drops
Khoya (reduced milk) - 1-1/4 cups
Raisins - handful
Almonds (chopped) - dozen
Milk (thickened) - 1 cup
Rose petals for garnish
Make paneer in the usual way. Weight and press, then squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Grind paneer to a fine paste, add thickened milk and castor sugar and mix well. Spread the paneer mixture on a flat container with raised sides. Flatten the mixture, sprinkle raisins, almonds and a tspn. of castor sugar over it and cover. Boil a pan with 2/3 water filled in it and keep the dish with the paneer on it, to steam cook. Cook for 1 hour or more, till done. Drain out any water that may get in, and allow to cool. Cut into squares or any desired shape. Garnish with rose petals before serving.
Sandesh #3
2 cups Paneer
1/3 cup sugar
10 Small Elaichis (green cardomom)
3 -4 pieces Silver Foil (Vark)
Kesar (saffron), a pinch
Mash paneer and sugar well. Ground elaichis and add them to the paneer mixture. Set the mixture flat in a thali and cut it into round, square or rectangular pieces. Apply foil and kesar on top, and offer.
