Sandesh is a gluten-free cheesecake originating from West Bengal, India, made with chenna or paneer. It can be flavored with various ingredients and is often served in small portions during celebrations.
Sandesh is a cheesecake originating from West Bengal, India. Native Bengalis call it shondesh, but sandesh is common and proper throughout the rest of India, and both words mean “good news.” This delicacy is often considered a delicacy and is typically served in small round portions during celebrations.
This dessert starts with a soft Indian cheese called chenna or paneer. The cheese resembles ricotta, though the curds are larger and the cheese itself isn’t as moist. Chenna is the foundation of sandesh; the recipe contains no flour or other binders, making it safe for people with gluten or wheat allergies.
Sandesh quickly assembles from scratch. Chenna is available in ethnic shops, but home cooks can make it as a fresh base for homemade sandesh. Start with about 1 gallon (3.78 liters) of whole milk brought to a boil.
The cook should add 1/2 cup (118 mL) of lemon juice to the boiling milk and stir gently until the milk begins to freeze. When the frozen milk separates from the rest of the liquid in the pot and begins to float, the cook should pour the hot mixture into a fine mesh strainer. This gets rid of the excess liquid, leaving only the chenna behind. The cook should place the strainer over the bowl, allowing the chenna to drain for about an hour. This prevents the chenna from being sticky and difficult to knead.
Next, the cook should knead the chenna gently on a dry piece of parchment paper until the cracks in the cheese begin to disappear and the chenna becomes smooth. At this point, the cook should add flavors such as sugar, pineapple, saffron or pistachios. The amount of any of these ingredients in chenna depends on the cook.
As soon as the cook adds sweeteners and flavorings to chenna, it becomes sandesh. As the cook gently folds and kneads, he should taste a small piece to see if more needs to be added. If satisfied with the flavour, the cook can roll pieces of sandesh into balls the size of ping pong balls and place them on sheets of wax paper.
Mediterranean fruits and saffron are traditional flavors of sandesh, but cooks can add whatever ingredients they like. Cocoa powder, apples and peaches are just a few possibilities. Cooks should note, however, that this dish is traditionally sweet and never salty.
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