Mango Sandesh ( Mango and Cottage Cheese Fudge )

It's that time of the year when we’ll have plenty of seasonal fruits in the market. But I love that yellow colored most juicy one, yes I am talking about mangoes. In India, for fruit lovers summer means mango. Each state produces different kind of mangoes but all are equally delicious. Though mostly they are eaten ripe, who can forget the taste of green, raw mango with salt and chilly in the childhood. Whatever type of mango it is, you can prepare them as seasonal delicacies. To name a few of them, mango shrikand, mango lassi, mango chutney, mango milkshake are most popular one.

In last couple of years I already shared some of my favorite mango dessert recipes such as Mango Yogurt, Mango Flavored Kalakand, Mango Popsicles . All these recipes were truly appreciated by the readers. So I was thinking why not try another dessert recipe with the king of fruits. Last month I made Mango Sandesh and it was a big hit among friends. Today I will share the recipe of the same. 

My mango sandesh recipe is nothing innovative, it’s been very popular in Calcutta for long time. Normally sandesh is a sweet dish made of fresh cottage cheese, sugar and cardamom. In this variation of the Sandesh, fresh mango pulp is added to the Cottage Cheese and it makes the sandesh more creamy and more delicious. There are few different type of moulds that can shape the sandesh and decorate it with different nuts like almonds, pistachios and cashews. I am sure you won’t stop at one or two. Sit back relaxed, forget about the calorie part and soak in the mango season. Otherwise you may regret after a few weeks when the season will be over.

Recipe of Mango Sandesh , about 15 pieces 

Ingredients :

Whole Milk : 1 and 1/2 liters 
Lemon juice : 3 tablespoons 
Sugar : 1/2 cup or to taste 
Mango Pulp : 1/2 cup 
Khoya : 1/4 cup 
Cardamom : 1 or 2, crushed 

Saffron : for garnishing 

Method :


1. Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, stir occasionally. Once the milk starts boiling, lower the flame. Pour the lemon juice and stir in. Milk will start cuddling and change into chenna ( cottage cheese ) and greenish water. Remove the pan from heat and leave the chenna in this condition for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the chenna and water mixture over a cheese cloth or a soft cotton cloth and let the water drain away. 


2. Put this cloth with the chenna under cold running water for 2 to 3 minutes to remove the lemony smell. Then hang the chenna along with cloth on the kitchen faucet for around 30 to 35 minutes. 

3. Now once again squeeze the cloth, if there is any extra water. But note that the chenna should not get too dry. Put the lump of chenna over flat surface and knead it. Start kneading with the heal of your palm for about 4 to 5 minutes, until you get a smooth dough. 

4. Soak the Khoya in 3 tablespoons of milk and pulse it to a smooth paste. 

5. Take a non-stick pan, add chenna, sugar, mango pulp, khoya paste and cardamoms. Now on a medium low heat cook the mixture by stirring it continuously with a spatula. Check the sweetness add sugar if needed. Keep stirring it until the mixture becomes thick , leaves from the sides of the pan and form a shape of dough. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove it from heat. Mango Sandesh is ready. 

6.Brush the inside of the molds with little ghee ( clarified butter ).Take out the warm Sandesh and shape with molds. If you don't have any molds just toss into balls. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

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