DANADER

Danader / Danadar is a non-pedigreed sweet from Bengal. I chose to prepare it because I used to love having it once upon a time. I remember how I loved having fried sweets and the amount of scolding I used to get for an unhealthy tastebud. In our home, only roshogolla was considered as a 'healthy sweet', just as marie and cream cracker among the biscuit varieties. The sibling duo craved for cream filled biscuits at times which were rarely allowed to us. Whenever mani sent me to the sweet shop to buy roshogolla and sandesh, I craved to have this danader. At times, I could not resist from buying me two, knowing the rest at home would not eat it. I loved to eat, the scolding did not affect me much when it came to food. I was threatened with fear of anything, from worms to early death. 

At this stage in life, I feel I could have been a little more wise and listen to what the mother had to say. Wish I could rewind and correct few actions of mine.... I remember reading 'Chander Pahar' the evening before the Chemistry examination .... always failed to understand what railways has to do with mathematics ..... I rather loved travelling in a train, sitting beside the window and watching the wonders of nature passing by. The fat, old lady continues to be a dreamer, lost in her own small world of fantasy... in spite of someone saying S.... there is something called reality.... remove the headphone and come down.... She giggles ....... "I married you to handle the harsh reality on my behalf".... undaunted... she makes her way to the kitchen singing .... "dil hai chota sa.... choti si asha"....

WHAT IS A DANADAR SWEET?

This Danader is near similar to rasgulla, but much harder in texture and sugary in taste. The ingredients are of rasgulla / roshogolla, but the paneer balls are overly boiled in the sugar syrup, may be until the syrup dries up to get crystallised! One who really has a sweet tooth would love it. I really did not have a sweet tooth, just once in a while I craved for a DANADAR or two! For the recipe I had drawn inspiration from GEOCITIES.ws. I had to keep in mind that unlike rasgulla, we will fry the sweet before adding to boiling sugar syrup yet they should not turn totally brown on frying like gulabjamun. 

Recipe Inspiration : GEOCITIES.ws

INGREDIENTS : [for homemade paneer]

Milk : 1 litre
Vinegar : 2tbsp
Water : 1/4 small tea cup

INGREDIENTS : [the finished product]

Paneer / Chana : As we get
Sugar : 1 small tea cup
Water : 2 coffee mugs
Green Cardamom : 3-4

Baking Soda : A Pinch


METHOD :

Let us prepare the paneer [cottage cheese] at first. Pour the milk in a deep bottomed vessel. Switch on the gas  burner and put the vessel on it..... Once the milk comes to a boil, add the vinegar that is added to  1/4 small tea cup of water. Switch off the gas burner.  

Strain the whey through a thin cloth, wash the paneer & tie it on the kitchen top... squeeze the extra water. Let rest for 1/2 an hour. I kept the rolling base atop it!

Take it out on a plate and mash for 10-12 minutes. Add a pinch of baking soda & keep kneading for another 10 minutes. 

Prepare table tennis sized balls!

Simultaneously, boil 1/2  small cup sugar and 2 coffee mugs water together. Tear the green cardamoms and add to the boiling water.

We will add the chana balls and cover cook at high heat!

We will overcook them, so they will not double the size like rasgulla.... 

We will take them out when the syrup dries up! We will roll them in more of sugar or may not!

Have it not more than one or two times a year, its quite an unhealthy treat!