In a deep vessel or a Ganj/Bhagoni/Patila – take the milk and on low flame let it come to a boil. Switch off the gas and let it cool down a bit for 5-6 minutes.
It is really important to not curdle when the milk is too hot. Wait for at least 5-7 minutes before you curdle the milk.
Mix citric acid in water and slowly add it to the milk. The milk will start curdling instantly.
Using a strainer drain the water and collect the Chenna in a muslin cloth. At this stage wash the Chenna under running water or clean water so that any tangy flavor of Citric acid or lemon fades away.
Now collect the Chenna in a muslin cloth and gently press it to release all the extra water. It’s important to do this step. Hang this Chenna for about 30 minutes. This will take off all the excess water. But make sure the Chenna is still moist.
Now our Chenna is ready. Take this Chenna in a big thali and mash it for atleast 5 minutes using your palm. So the idea is to mash it so well that it becomes a soft dough and we can make balls out of it.
Now add powdered sugar and cardamom powder and mash it again for 2 minutes. The heat of your palm will help in dissolving the sugar.
Put this mixture in a non-stick kadhai and cook this for just 2 minutes on low flame, not more than that. We just want to remove the raw flavor.
Take out the mixture, let it cool down, and mash it again using your palm. This time roll them into balls and mark an impression. Like I have used diya for that.
Use food color and make an impression using your finger’s tip. Voila! Garnish it with saffron strands.
Delicious Sandesh is ready!
Recipe Notes
You can add nuts/pistachios on top of Sandesh.
You can even steam them. I have not tried that yet.