Sandesh (Bengali Fresh Cheese Sweets)
Delicate, melt in the mouth Bengali sweets made from fresh curds of milk, cardamom and a little sugar.
- Time40 min plus chilling
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.26 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Bring the milk to a boil in a large pan. Take off the heat, add the lemon juice and stir gently until the milk splits into curds and clear whey.
- 2
Pour through a muslin lined sieve and rinse the curds under cold water for 30 seconds. Squeeze out as much water as you can, then hang for 20 minutes.
20 min - 3
Tip the curds onto a clean work surface and knead with the heel of your hand for 6 to 8 minutes until completely smooth, soft and slightly oily.
- 4
Mix in the sugar, cardamom and rose water. Cook gently in a non stick pan over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until the mixture just starts to leave the pan.
5 min - 5
Cool for 10 minutes, then press into 12 small moulds or shape into discs with a small dent in the middle.
- 6
Press a few pistachios into each and chill for 1 hour before serving.
60 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
