AMRIT RAS

It is this time of the year we wait for throughout the year. Our biggest festival Durga Puja is here and we are in a celebration mood. Let me tell you Durga Puja is not a festival for the Bengalis alone, and it will be unwise to call it a religious one. To prove my word, one needs to visit Kolkata / West Bengal during this time. You can see in fervour and spirit, it is for all residing there. Everyone takes part in the celebration. I can visualise the warmth, vigour, vibrance of my city sitting far off. Which ever part of the world we are in, we try to create that ambience and indulge ourselves in the celebration, though not in the vigour but in spirit.

If you say so, I do not miss Kolkata Pujo sitting far off. I was not in the bandwagon who roamed & roamed tirelessly during the Durga Puja! My family was strict about letting me go out with friends whilst in school! Once I was in college, I got that freedom and us friends would roam around the northern fringe of the city during the day time! In the evening, the father would take us around DumDum and starting from Muhammad Ali Park to all around Central Kolkata! 

It was only after marriage, I started visiting the South Kolkata Pandals, T's family had been great enthusiasts about any festival, except his father, he did not require many things in life! My brother took liberty forcefully during his senior school years, would go out locally with friends and got scolding from our parents, the father more for coming home late! We did not have the liberty T & his sister got! Did I ever wanted liberty in those days? All I wanted was food & my choice of story books & Chitrahaar! About our son, he has no special excitement with regards to the  Durga Puja or any Bengali ritual as such, mumma still hopes there would be a day when he would visit the Puja pandal with his family!

Celebration calls for a variety of food and indulging ourselves in them, sweets topping them all. Greetings are incomplete without sweets. Among us who ever visits home should be greeted with some 'mishtimukh'.... serving them sweet. During Durga Puja or any other festival, we prepare sweets, so that who ever comes, we can serve them those. They, in turn feel the touch of warmth of having homemade something. So I thought of preparing these easy made sandesh / fresh Chena / paneer cheese fudge filled with cooked mango puree to wish everyone happiness on the occasion  of Durga Puja. 

We do not love to cook much on these 4-5 days, so this easy one suits perfectly for the occasion. Let us do it and remember this sweet should be eaten within a day, the mango puree may spoil!

INGREDIENTS :[for the filling]

Fresh Mango Pulp : 1 medium cup

Sugar : 1 tsp

INGREDIENTS :[for the cottage cheese]

Milk : 1lt
Lemon Juice : of 1 lemon

Water : 3-4 tbsp
Ice cubes : 1/2 cup [they prevent the cheese from overcooking]

INGREDIENTS :[for the Sandesh base]

Cottage Cheese : As much as we get from 1 litre of milk
Sugar : 2-3 tbsp [you may need more]
Rice Flour : 1tbsp
Ghee : 1tbsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4tsp

METHOD :

Let us get the filling ready. Blend the mango pulp in a blender. Cook it in a wok for 4-5 minutes with 1 tsp of sugar at low heat; stirring continuously! We would transfer it to a bowl! 

Now we would prepare the cottage cheese. Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and bring to boil stirring constantly. As it comes to boil, switch off  the gas stove and add the lemon juice that is mixed with the waterer without it. The milk curdles. Add the ice cubes to avoid hardening of the cheese too much.

Drain the water from the cheese through a clean piece of cloth. Tie and squeeze it. Hang it for 40-45 minutes to get rid of the excess water.

Take the cottage cheese in a plate and keep mashing for 7-8 minutes. 

Take  the ghee, 2-3 tbsp sugar & the paneer in a pan that never cooked turmeric & spice based food. Switch on the gas stove & keep the heat at the lowest. Keep stirring continuously for about 8-10 minutes. 

Keep stirring till it binds together well and tend to come out of the pan base. Add the rice flour & the cardamom powder and mix well. We will stir cook for another 2-3 minutes!

Take the dough in a plate and  let cool. Knead for 3-4 minutes & shape into roundels creating pockets . Fill the pockets with the mango puree using what is comfortable for you.

Enjoy it fresh or you can store up to  a  day in the refrigerator.