Nolen Gur’er Shondesh is an irresistible, melt-in-the-mouth sweet delicacy from West Bengal in India where every bite can literally take you to heaven. Freshly prepared cottage cheese is kneaded with Nolen Gur (date palm jaggery) and flavoured with fragrant Chola Cardamom.
Nolen Gur translates to New Jaggery and is a winter speciality made from the Indian sugar date palm tree. It is a prized ingredient for its very limited availability during the winter months.
~ Gather Your Ingredients ~ |
| 1 litre Milk (full fat cow's milk) |
| 1 tbsp Juice of lemon |
| 1 cup Nolen Gur (can replace with cane sugar jaggery) |
| 6 Chola Cardamom pods [Add to cart] |
| 1 tbsp Ghee |
| 10-12 Pistachios for garnishing |
| *Makes 9-10 Shondesh |
~ Preparation Instructions ~
MAKING THE 'INDIAN COTTAGE CHEESE' OR 'CHENNA'
1. Bring the milk to boil, then gradually add the lemon juice until the whey separates from the curdled milk (chenna) completely. Allow it to cool down.
2. Line a strainer in a muslin cloth & drain the whey. Wash the chenna thoroughly in cold running water. Tie the muslin cloth from the 4 edges and hang it for about 15-20 minutes to drain completely.
3. Once you open the muslin cloth, the chenna must have been formed ~ slightly dry and crumbly.
MAKING THE 'SHONDESH'
4. Knead the chenna well by hand for about 5-8 minutes until smooth and there are signs of grease. This is a crucial step which will result in a soft shondesh.
5. Crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle and add the powder to the chenna. Add the nolen gur and knead again until all the three ingredients are combined.
6. Heat a pan in medium heat with a tablespoon of ghee. Add the kneaded chenna to the pan and stir continuously for a brief 5 minutes until the chenna slides the edges of the pan.
7. Remove from pan and let it cool down before shaping the shondesh.
8. Divide the chenna into 9-10 equal sized balls and shape them one by one with a gentle press. Moulds of various designs are used in the traditional way of making shondesh. Alternately, you can also simply make some cuts using a knife to design the shondesh like in the photo or keep it as is.
9. Press the centre gently with your thumb for the pistachio garnish.
10. The shondesh can be savoured immediately. Allow the shondesh to cool down if refrigerating, keeps well for at least 3-4 days in an airtight container.