Mango Pistachio Sandesh
Mango Pistachio Sandesh
Mango Pistachio Sandesh is a delicious, layered lightly sweetened recipe using fresh mangoes. Sandesh or Sondesh is a popular sweet from Bengal, India. Sandesh/ Sondesh is one of the most iconic sweets from Bengal. It is prepared by making ‘chhena’ or cheese curds, by curdling milk. The ‘sandesh’ comes in innumerable varieties.
In my family, everyone enjoys Bengali sweets especially sandesh especially as it melts in the mouth and is lightly sweetened and low in calories. I enjoy using fresh seasonal fruit to flavour sandesh. The juiciness and naturally vibrant flavour of mango contrast beautifully with the mild sweetness of the Sandesh. The flavour of cardamom and the layer of chopped pistachio makes the taste of this dessert more delectable.
This dainty dessert is also a pretty sight, because of the contrasting colours of the mango, pistachio and the chhena. I have made it in a shape of a cake, but it can also be made in a glass for an individual serving.
This simple recipe using a few ingredients is a delicious way to enjoy mangoes.
Ingredients
1.5 litres full fat milk
Juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
½ cup castor sugar
½ cup finely chopped unsalted pistachios
3-4 finely chopped mangoes
½ cup unsalted almonds
Directions
Soak the almonds in warm water for about 2-3 hours. Peel the almonds and then grind them to a fine paste.
Pour the milk into a large pan and bring it to boil over medium heat. Once the milk has boiled, pour in the lemon juice. Give it a stir, and you should see the milk curdle immediately. You can add 1 more tablespoon of lime juice if it does not curdle. Let the contents cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Strain the milk curds through a strainer. Rinse the milk curdle under cold water to wash out the lime juice.
Squeeze off the excess water from the paneer. We need moist paneer so make sure there is no excess whey or water in the paneer.
Knead the drained paneer, almond paste and castor sugar together for 10 minutes or until it becomes soft and smooth. It should look like a very soft smooth dough. Add the cardamom powder and gently mix.
Line a round 8-inch mould with parchment paper or baking paper. Layer the paneer mixture evenly at the bottom by gently pressing it.
Next evenly sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the paneer and then make an even layer of chopped mangoes.
Cool the Mango Pistachio Sandesh in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Serve cold!
