Sandesh (confectionery)

Sandesh is a dessert, originating from the Bengal region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, created with milk and sugar. Some recipes of sandesh call for the use of chhena or paneer instead of milk itself. Some people in the region of Dhaka make a variety of sandesh called pranahara which is softer and made with mawa and yogurt. Basirhat is known for its kachagolla sandesh. Historically, it can be seen that the culture of making this kachagolla in Basirhat is about 400 years old. The Gupo or Gufo style of sandesh from Guptipara is considered by some to be the "first branded sweet of Bengal".

History

A sweet dish by the name sandesh is mentioned in medieval Bengali literature, including Krittibas' Ramayana and lyrics of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. However, the ingredients of this original dish are not known. This dish was most likely made of solidified kheer, and thus different from the modern chhena-based sandesh.
It is hard to determine when exactly sandesh started referring mainly to the chhena-based sweet instead of the kheer-based sweet. However, it is known that by the second half of the 19th century, sandesh commonly referred to the chhena-based sweet.

Preparation

Sandesh can be made with the use of chhena or paneer. The simplest kind of sandesh in Bengal is the makha sandesh. It is prepared by tossing the chhena lightly with sugar over low heat. When shaped into balls, it is called Kanchagolla. For more complex and elaborately prepared sandesh, the chhena is dried and pressed, flavoured with fruit, and sometimes even coloured, and cooked to many different consistencies. Sometimes it is filled with syrup, blended with coconut or kheer, and moulded into a variety of shapes such as conch shells, elephants, and fish. Another variant is nolen gurer sandesh, which is made with gur or jaggery. It is known for its brown or caramel colour that comes from nolen gur.