Gur er Sandesh is a Beloved Bangladeshi Dessert

Pohela Baishak in Bangladesh has been added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Reema Islam looks at the special foods and rituals that form part of the traditions of this agrarian community. This recipe for cottage cheese or chhana is a popular sweet for all festivals and although patali gur is a winter ingredient, it does make an appearance on Pohela Baishakh.

Read more about Pohela Baishakh and Bangladeshi new year traditions here.

RECIPE FOR GUR ER SANDESH

Ingredients
2 L milk
¼ cup water & ¼ cup vinegar
½ cup patali/khejurer gur or date palm jaggery
¼ tsp powdered cardamom & half a cup raisins
½ tsp ghee

Method
Mix the vinegar and water and set aside.
Heat the milk and once it is bubbling along the edges, gradually add the vinegar-water mixture. Make sure to do this slowly, to get the right consistency of the chhana (cottage cheese).
Once it boils, let it cool for about 2 minutes then sieve it through a cheese cloth. Do not squeeze, but let it hang, allowing the whey to drip out.
In about two hours your chhana will be ready.
In a wok or brass korai (a normal one will also do) stir in half a cup of the gur with the ghee. You may leave out the ghee if the gur is already quite mushy.
In about 2 minutes, add the chhana and cook for another 1 minute.
Add the rest of the gur and the powdered cardamoms and sugar.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the mixtures starts to come off the sides of the korai.
Spread the Sandesh and cut into squares or press them through shondesh moulds. Press 1 raisin in the centre of each square and allow to cool. Refrigerate and serve cold also, in case it is a hot day, so the shondesh doesn’t crumble.

Banner image credit Motions and Emotions.

ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL