Bhapa Sandesh had always been a comfort sweet. We used to get happy when Ma would say, “Oh, the milk got curdled again,” the next things she would make either Sandesh, or Chanar Dalna. The ingredients of this Sandesh would come together so quickly that she could make it with her eyes closed, and it always tasted out of the world.
After steaming, the chhena gets the creamy and smooth texture that we desire in a soft sandesh, a whiff of cardamom, and saffron hues that play beautifully together. Mild and delicate, each spoonful of Sandesh melts inside your mouth.
A few days back, when Coppre sent me these beautiful handmade Kansa dip bowls, the first thing came into my mind, how about making Bhapa Sandesh in them? I remembered how Ma would whip up quick batches of Sandesh during the festive season when store-bought sweets were not enough because of the random visits of guests, and it was a ritual to greet them with sweets. Especially during the Durga Puja days, there had to be plenty of sweets at home, otherwise, Ma would come to the rescue with her Bhapa Sandesh. I twisted her way of making the Sandesh in a large bowl. I thought it would be nice to make it as individual portions, and the size of these bowls was perfect for that purpose. They’ve got the festive look already because of the metal Kansa, to enhance the charm, I covered the bowls with Shalpata while steaming the sondesh. The overall look was gorgeous, and my family loved it when I served them the humble Sandesh this way.
I hope you would find the recipe easy enough to try during the festive days. If you’re trying out the recipe, let me know about your experience. 🙂
Bhapa Sandesh / Steamed Cottage Cheese Fudge
This traditional recipe of Bengali sweet is easy to make and requires a few basic ingredients. Bhapa Sandesh is a soft, aromatic sweet made by following the steaming method, which gives it a unique melt in the mouth texture.
Ingredients
- 230g- Chhena/Paneer/Fresh cottage Cheese
- 90g- Caster sugar/ White powdered sugar
- Cardamom powder from 2 Green cardamoms
- Saffron strands for garnishing
- Pistachio for garnishing (chopped)
- As required- Ghee/Clarified butter
Instructions
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For this sweet you can make fresh chhena at home or use store-bought Malai Paneer. If you’re using paneer, make sure the paneer is made from full-fat milk, soft & fresh.
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Crumble the paneer by using your fingers, keep aside.
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In a food processor (alternatively, you can use the chutney jar of your mixer for this step) add the crumbled paneer, sugar, and cardamom powder, blitz until smooth, lump-free. The mixture would resemble the consistency of whipping cream, keep aside.
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Grease the bowls/cups or a pan with ghee, transfer the chhena mixture into it, and smooth the top with a spatula or spoon.
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Garnish with saffron strands and chopped pistachio.
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Seal the top of the pan with a piece of aluminium foil. Here, I’ve used pieces of Shal leaves to cover the bowls, if you’ve shal leaves with you, then go for it, otherwise, aluminium foil does the needful.
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In a large pan heat some water, when the water starts to boil lower the heat and place a trivet in the pan. The water level should not touch the base of the trivet. Place the pan of chena mixture upon the trivet carefully. Cover the large pan with a lid and steam to make the sondesh over low heat for 30 minutes.
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After steaming take out the sondesh pan carefully and let it be cooled completely at room temperature.
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If you’re using a pan to steam the sandesh, then you can slice the sondesh in cubes and serve them cold or at room temperature.
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If you’re making sandesh in individual bowls just like the way I did then you can serve the bowls directly for consumption.
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Store sandesh in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and consume within 3-4 days.
