BBC - Radio 4 Woman's Hour -<strong>Sandesh</strong>

To say that these little sweetmeats or mithai are made of fresh white cheese and sugar will just not convey just how delicious they are. They are really moreish and when you know there is no added fat to them, you often cave in to temptation. These Bengali sweets are one of the most popular in a region renowned for its sweets and is one of the few sweets still made at home in a culture which have out sourced sweets a long time ago. They are easy to make and forgiving to minor mistakes. I like them as they are or with a little rose water or flavoured with saffron and cardamom but they come in many derivatives as innovative housewives use what they have lying around and start experimenting.

Makes 12-15

1 ltr. full-fat milk
100-150g yoghurt (depends on how sour the yoghurt is)
45g caster sugar
½ tsp. green cardamom powder (seeds taken out of the pods and ground)
good pinch of saffron, powdered in a pestle and mortar with ¼ tsp. of sugar

other flavourings ideas
½ tsp.-2 tsp. depending on the quality of rose water to taste
¾ tsp. vanilla essence or to taste
3 tbs. desiccated coconut or to taste

Method
Bring the milk to a boil over a low heat. Once the milk starts to rise in the pan stir in the yoghurt. The milk will curdle leaving curd-like cheese floating in murky water. If it does not split add some more yoghurt and leave for 20 seconds over the flame.

Drain the pot into a muslin-cloth-lined sieve and discard the water. Run fresh tap water over the cheese to remove any sourness (from the yoghurt). Twist the muslin around the cheese to make a tight ball and place it under a weight (I fill the pan and place it on top). Leave for 20 minutes to drain the water.

Take 2/3^rds of the cheese and the sugar and knead with your hand to crush the grainy texture to have a slightly grainy, ricotta-like paste (you can also use a blender and pulse a few times). Knead, while smoothing out the remaining paste on your work surface.

Spoon the mixture sweet cheese into a warm non-stick frying pan and place over a low-moderate flame, stirring continuously for about 3-5 minutes or until the sugar has melted and the mixture leaves the base of the pan. Take off the heat and mix in the remaining cheese and knead into a smooth dough.

Now the basic mixture is ready. Add the saffron and the cardamom powder, keep plain or add your rose water and roll into small 1” balls. Garnish with silver leaf, a whole pistachio, flaked almonds, saffron strands, flaked coconut or rose petals depending on the flavouring. Chill until ready to eat.

Retired? Downsizing? Moving home to be nearer the kids?