Bengal is said to be “Land of sweets”, and Bengalis are proud of their rich heritage, culture and of course sweets. It is believed that no meal is complete without mishti (sweets). Sandesh or sondesh is one of the most authentic, delectable sweet from the Bengali cuisine which is often made during festivals or new year (Nobo borsho). This easy to make dessert requires just 3 simple ingredients which are almost available in every household: milk, sugar/jaggery and elaichi powder (green cardamom). Most of the milk based sweets are such that cooking is involved in some way or the other, like deep frying or boiling, which increases their shelf life. But, owing to the technique used in the preparation of sandesh, where no such cooking is involved, it does not last long and hence should be consumed within a day or two. Sandesh requires just mixing up all the ingredients nicely, keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours and the result is soft, yummy sandesh ready to enjoy. However authentic recipe demands jaggery and elaichi as sweetener and flavoring, you can always go ahead with your choice of flavor and create your own dish. I have paired it with strawberry to make strawberry sondesh. It is advisable to use homemade fresh paneer (cottage cheese) for better results.
