Sandesh (sweet) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Sandesh is a sweet snack originated and still very popular in Bengal

Bengal

Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

region (present independent Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

and West Bengal

West Bengal

West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...

, a province of India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

). It is created with milk and sugar

Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...

http://indianfood.about.com/od/sweetsanddesserts/r/sandesh.htm. Some recipes of Sandesh call for the use of chhana (curdled milk) or paneer instead of milk http://www.hindustanlink.com/recepiet/sandesh.htm. Some people in the region of Dhaka

Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...

call it pranahara (literally, heart 'stealer') which is a softer kind of sandesh, made with mawa and the essence of curd

Curd

Curds are a dairy product obtained by curdling milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar, and then draining off the liquid portion. The increased acidity causes the milk proteins to tangle into solid masses, or curds. The remaining liquid, which contains only...

http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/S_0640.htm. Sandesh is also mentioned in the Bollywood film 'Devdas' (2002) where both Hindustani and Bengali cultures were portrayed. The best sandesh makers are from Narail and Dhaka

Dhaka

in Bangladesh

Bangladesh

and Kolkata

Kolkata

Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

in West Bengal

West Bengal

, India

India

. Parijat, Rose Cream, Dilkhush, Abar Khabo, Chocolate Talsansh are among the most popular types. Nakur, Bhim Nag, Makhon and Nalin Sarkar are some of the shops in Kolkata. "Makha" sandesh hails from Bardhaman district.

Another popular Bengali

Bengali cuisine

Bengali cuisine is a culinary style originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided between the Indian state of West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh. Other regions, such as Tripura, and Barak Valley region of Assam also have large native Bengali...

sweet snack Ras malai

Ras malai

Ras Malai is an East Indian sweet dessert served after a meal. It is popular throughout South Asia.The ras malai of Matrivandar of Comilla, Bangladesh is very popular everywhere.-Ingredients:...

is also a modified version of Sandesh. While Sandesh is dry, Ras malai

Ras malai

Ras Malai is an East Indian sweet dessert served after a meal. It is popular throughout South Asia.The ras malai of Matrivandar of Comilla, Bangladesh is very popular everywhere.-Ingredients:...

is soaked in clotted cream. Ras malai

Ras malai

Ras Malai is an East Indian sweet dessert served after a meal. It is popular throughout South Asia.The ras malai of Matrivandar of Comilla, Bangladesh is very popular everywhere.-Ingredients:...

from Comilla

Comilla

Comilla is a city in south-eastern Bangladesh, located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. It is the administrative center of the Comilla District, part of the Chittagong Division. The Eastern Wing of Bangladesh Highway Police is located in Comilla....

Bangladesh

is the most popular of its kind.

Preparation

The most common way of making the sandesh is with the use of Chhana or cottage cheese. Chhana is the solid form which is separated by curdling milk, and it has wide application in sweet-preparation in Bengal. The simplest kind of Sandesh in Bengal is the kanchagolla. It is basically prepared by tossing the Chhana lightly with sugar over low heat. The sandesh is essentially hot, sweetened Chhana which has been shaped into balls. For the more complex and elaborately prepared sandesh, the chhana which is used for preparation is dried and pressed, flavoured with essence of fruits, sometimes even coloured and cooked to many different levels of consistencies. Sometimes it is filled with syrup, blended with coconut or kheer and moulded into a variety of shapes. These shapes can frequently be seen resembling conch-shells, elephants, fish etc. The shapes are mostly given my way of moulds. The majority of these moulds are carved out of stone, though some may also be carved from wood.

External links

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