Gur ka Sandesh is a popular and devoured Bengali sweet. There are many varieties of Sandesh and the recipe we are sharing here is a healthy and light version of this delectable sweet. An interesting thing I found out is that during sickness when sweets are not allowed in one’s diet, doctors generally let patients have this sweet. That is because it is light and makes use of jaggery (gur) which is nutritious.
Ingredients :
- Full Fat Milk – 1/2 Litre
- Broken Gur – 3 tablespoons or 1/4 cup (You can alter the amount as per your taste)
- Pistachios(Pista) – 4-5 cut in small pieces
- Cardamom – 1 piece (Powdered)
Servings: 6-7 pieces
Preparation time: 50 mins.
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 mins.
Method
Chhena Preparation:
Boil milk in a heavy bottomed pan .
Once it is boiled, add curd slowly to separate the milk from the water completely. Sprinkle water intermittently while milk is getting curdled. Turn off the heat once chhena is prepared.
Drain out the water using a muslin cloth.
Sandesh Preparation:
Hang the above prepared chhena in the muslin cloth for around half an hour.
Transfer into a large plate.
Mash chhena for 5-6 mins. with your palm by rubbing and pressing it hard.
Gather the whole mixture at intervals and then continue kneading till the mixture becomes smooth and starts coming together easily. (It will leave the bottom of the plate at this stage)
Now add gur and mash again. Mix well. At this stage, you can taste and adjust the amount of gur if you wish to.
Take a pan and add the above mix to it. Place the pan on the stove and heat it on the lowest heat setting. Keep turning up and down gently.
Please note that it is very important to perform the above step at very low heat so that rawness of paneer goes away and at the same time, it does not crumble.
When water evaporates, the mixture starts coming together and leaves the pan. (This takes around 5-6 minutes)
Turn off the heat and transfer this mix to a plate. Add cardamom powder and let it cool down to a lukewarm temperature.
Divide into 6-7 portions and roll into round shape. Press with a finger in the centre to add slices of pistachios in each piece one by one. You can also use moulds for giving different shape to Gur ka Sandesh.
Gur ka Sandesh is ready to be relished. This can be kept outside for a day but it is better to refrigerate it after that.
Note: Chhena/Paneer used should be soft and freshly prepared. If you do not have curd, you can also use lemon juice or vinegar or whey water to prepare it.