PoushParbon special-PoushSankranti

Most Bengali sweet meats are made from only' chana' soft fresh cottage cheese, Indian cheese made by curdling milk. In the winter months, Nolen gur or date palm jaggery replaces the sugar in the sweetmeats. 

On every street corner is a sweet meat shop selling varieties of nolen gurer sondesh. 
Nolen gurer misthti has an unforgettable flavour and a smooth texture.

Sandesh is a very popular Bengali dessert. A new grandmom, I hardly get the time so my mother-in-law prepared these this month on Poush Sankranti. She loves to whip up authentic Bengali recipes handed down to her from her mother. Earlier she made a long list of Bengali festival sweets inherited and learnt from her mother who was an expert. I have learnt these tried and tested ones from ma. 

When my daughters  and their friends appriciate by calling me 'the worlds best cook' I feel on top of the world and get inspired to keep cooking like my mother, my mother-in -law and their mothers. Sinjini , Shreya's college pal even gave me a trophy (A beautifully carved cut glass plate) when Shreya took her favourite tiffin to college.....

Nolen Gurer Sandesh

Nolen Gurer Sandesh:

 Ingredients :

Full Cream Milk.........................................................1 litre
Nolen gur...................................................................200 grams
Sugar.........................................................................200 grams
Green Cardamom,crushed.......................................2
Lemon........................................................................1

Cashewnuts................................................................10

Preparation :

Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon citric acid in half cup of warm water or take the juice of one lemon.

Heat the milk and bring to a boil, reduce heat and pour the citric water or lemon juice slowly in it. Milk will curdle. Keep stirring till milk is fully curdled.

Pour the curdled milk over a muslin cloth. Drain out water completely. Squeeze to remove any excess water and hang the whey for about 40 minutes. We don't want  very dry cottage cheese for this recipe so take care.

Take the cheese out and knead  for about 7-10 minutes till it is smooth.  Add the gur. Knead the chenna/cheese along with the gur and sugar with your palm. By this time the chenna/cheese should be very smooth & not grainy at all. .

Take a portion of the chenna/cheese & roll it in a sphere between your palms. Once the sphere is very smooth on the outside with no cracks its ready.


Now heat a non-stick pan and put the entire chenna/cottage cheese in the heated non-stick pan. Keep the pan on low heat. Spread out the chenna/cheese, cook it on low heat, constantly stirring with a spatula for 10 minutes or till it changes to a slightly darker colour so it does not stick at the bottom of pan. The texture will change too. When the channa/ cottage cheese no longer sticks to the pan it is ready. Mix in the cashewnuts. Switch the gas off and transfer to a bowl.

The Chenna/Cheese is now ready to be given shapes. This is called “Makha” – the prepared but not yet moulded Sandesh. You have to mould it right away while it is still warm to touch. If left alone for long, it cannot be moulded anymore. Give desired shapes.

Makha Sandesh

Ma spread it on a greased dish and cut it into squares but she has stone moulds which she uses to  give different shapes to the sweetmeat.This is a Norom Paker Sandesh.....soft soft and mouth watering.

Nolen Gur Diye Semaier Payesh

Nolen Gurer Payesh:

This is semai payesh (Vermacilli pudding cooked with date jaggery) and very easy to prepare.

Ingredients :

Full Cream Milk................................................2 litre

Vermacelli..........................................................(1 cup) 6 tbsp

Sugar...................................................................1/2 cup (6-8 tbsp)

Nolen gur............................................................2-3 tbsp

Deshi Ghee...........................................................1 tbsp

Cashewnuts........................................................10

Raisins...................................................................10

Preparation:

Boil the milk and reduce to half  for really creamy texture.( Ma prepares payesh which has layers and layers of malai/sor in it just like her ma prepared)

While the milk is reducing, heat 1 tbsp ghee and saute the vermacelli in a pan till golden.

In the same pan, saute the cashewnuts and raisins as well and keep aside.

When the milk is creamy and thick, add the fried vermacelli and cook till soft.

Add the sugar and stir till it dissolves. Remove from flame and add the nolen gur. Mix.

Keep aside to cool. Serve chilled.

Gurer Rossomalai

Gurer Rossomalai :

Ingredients:

Full Cream Milk...................................8 cups
Sugar....................................................1 cup
Lemon Juice..........................................2 tbsp
Water .....................................................5 cups
Cardamom Powder.............................1/4 tsp
Nolen Gur..............................................according to taste

Method:

Boil 4 cups milk in a different pan and boil the remaining 4 cups milk in a different pan (The milk in one pan needs to be reduced to half the quantity so once it comes to a boil, keep the flame low and reduce the milk stirring occasionally. Add sugar and reduce. Add the nolen gur to the reduced milk after removing from the flame).
Once the milk in the 1st pan comes to a boil, slowly add lemon juice to curdle it and make cottage cheese or chana.
When the milk curdles, switch off the stove and strain the chana in a muslin cloth.
Pour a little cold water over the cheese and hang the muslin cloth for at least 30 minutes to remove all of the water.
Remove the cottage cheese(Chana) from the muslin cloth and knead it to smoothen it. You can use a food processor to make it smooth as kneading the chana by hand will take a long time .
Divide the cottage cheese into equal tiny portions as we need very small size balls. Roll the portions in your hands until a smooth ball is formed.
In wok boil water, dissolve 1 cup sugar and add the chana balls. you can do this in the pressure cooker, like me, to get them really soft. Close pressure cooker lid and cook until one whistle sounds. Immediately switch off the stove.
After 5 minutes, carefully take remove the chana (cottage cheese balls) and allow it to cool.
Once the cottage cheese balls are cool gently squeeze out the sugar syrup from the balls and add to the reduced milk. As the cottage cheese balls soak in the cream milk flavoured with nolen gur they will swell up . Leave to chill in the refrigerator. Serve chilled. 

HAPPY COOKING  !!!!!!