Easy Kesar Pista Sandesh Modak

Here’s an easy recipe of Sandesh made from Chhena, flavoured with Kesar and Pista and shaped into Modaks.Lets learn how to make a Bengali Sandesh at home!

Sandesh or Shondesh is a delectable, quintessential sweet of Bengal popular all over India, essentially made from Chhena or Cottage Cheese or Paneer though some recipes ask for the use of Mawa or Khoya or thickened milk and sometimes the mixture of both Khoya and Chhena. The simplest kind of Shondesh made in Bengal is the Makha or Kneaded Shondesh. It’s prepared by cooking the Chhena lightly with sugar on low heat.( Source : Wikipedia )

Sandesh is basically a 3 ingredient recipe made from Chhena, Sugar and Cardamom powder. An overwhelmingly melt in the mouth preparation and a perfect crowd pleaser it can be easily made at home. In this recipe I have flavoured these Sandesh with kesar or Saffron and stuffed them with chopped pistachios and gave them a Modak shape with a Modak mould which is easily available in the market with Ganesh Chaturthi round the corner.

The best part of making Shondesh at home is that you can choose and try out many kinds of flavours like Mango, Rose, Chocolate, Nolen Gur or Date palm Jaggery, Coconut etc. Nowadays the sweetmeat shopkeepers in Bengal have come out with Boozy and fruity ones and Savoury ones too…..hats off to their power of innovation😇.

How to make Bengali Sandesh at home?

Easy Kesar Pista Sandesh Modak

Print Recipe

Here's an easy recipe of Sandesh made from Chhena, flavoured with Kesar and Pista and shaped into Modaks.Lets learn how to make a Bengali Sandesh at home!

• Coursedessert
• Cuisinebengali, indian

Servings	Prep Time
12 People	15

Cook Time

5 Minutes

Servings Prep Time 12 People 15

Cook Time 5 Minutes

Easy Kesar Pista Sandesh Modak Print Recipe Here's an easy recipe of Sandesh made from Chhena, flavoured with Kesar and Pista and shaped into Modaks.Lets learn how to make a Bengali Sandesh at home! Coursedessert Cuisinebengali, indian Servings Prep Time 12 People 15 Cook Time 5 Minutes Servings Prep Time 12 People 15 Cook Time 5 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Chhena

• 1 lt milk Preferably fresh
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp water

For the Sandesh

• 1 1/2 Cups chhena (From the 1 lt milk)
• 3 Tbsp Sugar powder Adjust according to taste
• 1/2 Tsp cardamom Powder
• 1 Tbsp milk Warm
• A Few strands saffron (Soaked in the warm milk)
• 10 pistachios Chopped

Servings: People

Instructions

1. For the Chhena or Paneer, boil the milk stirring in between,switch off the flame and add the lemon juice little by little stirring all the time till the greenish whey liquid and cheese is separated. Strain the cottage cheese in a muslin or cheese cloth, gently squeeze and hang it for 2-3 hours for all the liquid to drain out.
2. Take out the Chhena from the cloth and knead it on a clean, plain surface with the heel of your palm approximately for 10 minutes or till it resembles a smooth dough.
3. Add the powdered sugar to it and knead for 1 more minute till well mixed.
4. In a non stick pan on low heat cook the Chhena stirring constantly and cook till the Chhena mix starts coming together and becomes lumpy.Dont cook more than 5 minutes as the Chhena becomes crumbly.
5. Transfer the Chhena to the work surface again and knead taking care not to burn your hands.You will notice that the mix starts drying out as it cools down.
6. Add the soaked saffron milk and cardamom and knead again for a minute or two.
7. Now grease a Modak mould with ghee, arrange the mix in both sides of the mould, stuff some chopped pistachios and join both the sides to form a Modak shape.
8. Unmould , garnish with some saffron strand and pistachios and serve immediately or chilled .

Recipe Notes

• The preparation time mentioned doesn't include the Chhena making time.
• Make sure the milk used for curdling the Chhena is fresh so that Chhena prepared is soft.
• Take care not to cook the Chhena and sugar mix for more than 5 minutes as it starts getting crumbly.

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With Ganesh Chaturthi being western India ‘s most vibrant festival the atmosphere here is filled with festive excitement and vigour with people thronging to the market to book their Ganapati idols and shop for the festivities.The Sweet shops bustling with Modak and Ladoo lovers. With the city abuzz with preparations for the oncoming festival how can I be left behind.😊 Sending these Kesar Pista Sandesh Modak for the 106 th Foodie Monday Bloghop for the theme Ganesh Chaturthi special Recipes.

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