Sandesh – Bengali Cottage Cheese Fudge | Mishti Chhanar Sondesh

Sandesh, a popular Bengali sweet, is a simple and heady mix of freshly made paneer or chena kneaded with powdered sugar and a hint of cardamom powder. Bengal’s best known channar sweet Sondesh can be prepared at home very easily.

For Bengalis, soft, melt-in-the-mouth Sandesh is mandatory for any kind of celebration. So whether your kid has scored well in class, you just bought a new car or you have received a job offer, you just cannot break the good news to your family and friends without a celebratory box of the Bengali sweet sandesh!

The staple ingredient in the making of this sweet delicacy is ‘chhana’ or paneer extracted by curdling milk.

This drool-worthy Bengali sweet recipe requires nothing more than kneading together the three basic ingredients – chena (paneer/cottage cheese), powdered sugar and cardamom powder – heating the whole mix and then refrigerating it in moulds. Simple 🙂

Sandesh Sweet Recipe:

Sondesh, made with sweetened chena and flavoured with cardamom, tops the list of famous Bengali sweets. If you ever visit the “City of Joy’ make sure you don’t miss out on the chhena-based Sandesh!

• For this traditional Bengali sweet dish recipe, heat milk in a vessel and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• When the milk is just about to boil over, reduce the flame. Then add lemon juice, while you keep on stirring.

• You will notice that the milk starts to curdle. Keep stirring till the chena separates from the whey completely.
• Strain the paneer using a sieve/strainer lined with cheesecloth.
• Wrap the prepared chena in the cheesecloth and rinse under water to remove the lemony taste. Squeeze gently to drain out water.
• Unwrap the homemade chhana and place it on a clean dry plate. The cottage cheese should be slightly moist; if it’s too dry, it will start to crumble.

• Knead the paneer till it’s absolutely soft and smooth. You will see that the cheese will start to release fat and your kneading hand will feel slightly greasy.

• Then mix in powdered sugar and cardamom powder.

• Knead the dough for a couple of minutes more till all the ingredients are well incorporated.

• Heat a non-stick pan on low flame and add the chena mixture. Saute the mixture for about 5 minutes till the mixture starts to come together.

• Do not overcook or the mixture will become dry.
• Remove and set aside for a couple of minutes to cool slightly.
• Knead the mixture lightly and divide into equal portions.

• Lightly roll each portion into a ball and flatten it gently between your palms.

• You can also use traditional leaf or fish moulds to get the desired shape.

• Place some tutti frutti or chopped pistachios in the centre of each flattened ball and press lightly.

• Refrigerate for about an hour.
• Serve Bengali Sandesh for dessert.

If you are looking for more Bengali sweet recipes with milk, do try out Payesh with Jaggery.

Easy Sondesh Mithai Recipe Step By Step: