Rose Sandesh - Bengali Sweet Recipe

Rose Sandesh is a colorful twist to the evergreen Bengali Sweet recipe. This no-bake easy dessert/mithai can brighten up any festival or party! Plus, it can literally be made in 15 minutes! Save this recipe, it's a keeper!

Course Dessert, sweets

Cuisine bengali, Indian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Servings pieces

Calories 138.97kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Khoya Stuffing

1 teaspoon ghee
180 gms khoya
2 tablespoon fine sugar
2 tablespoon gulkand

To Make The Sandesh

12 oz paneer
½ cup fine sugar
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
2 tablespoon rose syrup
2 tablespoon chopped nuts for garnish
1 tablespoon edible rose petals for garnish

Instructions

To Make The Khoya Stuffing

Thaw the store-bought khoya by leaving it on the counter atleast for 3-4 hours. Then grate it finely. You can also crumble it.
Add ghee to a pan and when its hot enough, add the grated khoya. Cook on a low flame. Khoya will begin to melt. This will take 2-3 minutes.
Then add the fine sugar and gulkand.
Mix and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes. Eventually, the mixture will no longer stick to the pan and will resemble a crumbly dough. The khoya stuffing is ready. Transfer to a plate and let it cool.

To Make The Paneer Sandesh

If using frozen paneer, transfer it to the fridge the previous night. On the next day, let it thaw over the countertop till it softens. Then grate or crumble paneer. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add fine sugar and cardamom powder.
Mix it all together. Taste and add more sugar if needed.
Transfer the contents to a mixer grinder jar. Add rose syrup and pulse for 10 seconds or until smooth. Do not grind. This is just to bring the mixture together evenly. You can also knead it with your hands. It's just more time consuming.
Transfer the mixture back to a plate. Knead it a bit to make a smooth dough. Divide and Shape them into lemon-sized round balls and make a cavity in the middle.
Take a teaspoon measure of khoya mixture and stuff it in the middle.
Close the paneer ball and shape them evenly using your palm. Flatten it slightly if you want or keep them in round shape.
Garnish with nuts and rose petals. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes and then serve this easy no-bake dessert.

Notes

Ensure that the paneer is soft when you begin the recipe. That is key. If the mixture turns dry, just add a few drops of milk. If it becomes too thin, add some more paneer and grind it until smooth.

While I have not tried it, but Ricotta cheese is a great substitute for paneer because of its similarity in texture. You will need to cook it with condensed milk, sugar, and cardamom to get the desired consistency.

If you don't want to use rose syrup but still want this beautiful color, you can add beetroot juice/powder or organic pink food color.

Nutrition