Mango Sandesh Recipe

Festival Special Food in India

Mango Sandesh Recipe:

Chenna
Mango puree

To make chenna or slightly moist paneer:
Milk - 1 1/2 liters
Curd - 3/4 cup, beaten till smooth
For mango sandesh:
Powdered sugar - 1/3 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Mango puree - 1 1/3 cups, freshly squeezed mango pulp blended till smooth
Pistachios or almonds - finely chopped for garnish

Heat 2 litres milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and very slowly add whisked curd and keep stirring continuously.
The milk will begin to curdle and milk solids start forming along with a thin liquid called whey. If the milk is not curdling after adding the entire curd, add 1-2 tbsps of curd to curdle it. Turn off heat.
Immediately add 10 ice cubes to the vessel to stop further cooking of milk solids. Allow to rest for 5 mins.
Take an empty vessel and place a sieve over it. Cover the sieve with a wet muslin or cheese cloth and pour the curdled milk into it. The whey will collect the bottom of the vessel and the curdled milk solids (called chenna) will remain on the top. Set aside the collected whey that can be used to knead chapati dough.
Pour 2 to 3 cups of water over the chenna to wash off any sourness that it might have.
Bring the edges of the cloth on all four corners and gently squeeze the milk solids (chenna) once or twice so that excess liquid is removed. Tie a knot so that you can hang it at a height for the excess liquid to drain. Set it aside for at least 45 mins. You will have moist paneer or chenna ready to make sandesh.
Place the chenna on a wide plate and knead it gently for at least 8-10 mins till it forms a smooth mixture. Add powdered sugar and cardamom powder and mix well to combine.
Heat a non-stick pan, add chenna-powdered sugar mixture and cook on very low flame stirring constantly. Since we have added sugar, it will become a soft gooey mixture.
Continue to cook on low heat till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. It will become a soft lumpy, dough like mixture.
Turn off heat and place the mixture on a greased plate. Allow to cool slightly so that you can handle the mixture with your hand.
Knead the mango mixture lightly for a minute and make small lemon sized balls. Flatten them slightly and make a small dent in the center and place crushed nuts or a whole pistachio.
You can refrigerate for a few mins and serve chilled or at room temperature.