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Tag: Gluten-free

  • Santula

    Santula is the Odia home cook's answer to a light, nourishing vegetable dish. It is cooked for children, for the elderly and for anyone recovering from illness, and it fits right into a summer meal. Some families make it without any tempering at all, simply boiling the vegetables and adding salt and ghee.

    The flavour is mild and clean: mixed vegetables simmered until soft, then dressed in a tempering of mustard oil, panch phoron, garlic and green chilli. A splash of milk at the end, in the 'dudha santula' style, makes it gently creamy. It is not meant to be rich or fiery; the vegetables should taste of themselves.

    At a glance

    RegionOdisha
    CuisineOdia
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsraw papaya / potato / brinjal / pumpkin / milk

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw papaya, peeled and cubed
    • 1 medium potato, cubed
    • 1 small brinjal, cubed
    • 1 cup pumpkin, cubed
    • 1/2 cup french beans, cut into 3 cm pieces
    • 1 raw banana, peeled and cubed
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 1 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp panch phoron
    • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 1 dry red chilli
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1 tsp ghee
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Put all the vegetables in a pan with turmeric, salt and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on medium-low for 10-12 minutes until tender.
    2. Lightly mash a few pieces of pumpkin and potato against the side of the pan to thicken the stew, leaving most of the vegetables whole.
    3. Heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it smokes, then lower the heat. Add panch phoron and dry red chilli and let them crackle.
    4. Add the crushed garlic and green chillies and fry until the garlic is light golden, about 1 minute.
    5. Pour the tempering into the vegetables and simmer for 2 minutes.
    6. Lower the heat, stir in the milk and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes without boiling hard. Finish with ghee and serve warm.

    Tips

    • Keep the milk off a rolling boil so it does not split with the vegetables' acidity.
    • Use whatever seasonal vegetables are at hand – ridge gourd, ash gourd and drumstick are all common.
    • For a sick-day version, skip the tempering and just add ghee and a pinch of black pepper.

    Serve with

    Plain rice and a little dal, or with pakhala in summer.

  • Kolkata Chicken Biryani

    Kolkata biryani descends from the Awadhi kitchen of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, who was exiled from Lucknow to Metiabruz in Kolkata in 1856 and brought his cooks with him. The famous potato is said to have entered the pot there, and today it is non-negotiable: Kolkatans will judge a biryani by its aloo as much as by its meat.

    Compared with Hyderabadi or Malabar biryanis, the Kolkata style is subtle. There is little chilli, the rice is long-grain and separate, and the aroma comes from mace, nutmeg, kewra water, rose water, saffron and ghee. A boiled egg is tucked inside each serving. Arsalan, Aminia and Royal Indian Hotel are the names locals argue over.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time45 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time120 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbasmati rice / chicken / potato / egg / yogurt

    Ingredients

    For the chicken

    • 750 g chicken, cut into 8 large pieces with bone
    • 1 cup thick curd
    • 1 tbsp ginger paste
    • 1 tbsp garlic paste
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
    • 1/2 tsp mace powder
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup fried onions (birista)

    For the rice

    • 500 g aged basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 4 green cardamoms
    • 4 cloves
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 1 star anise
    • 1 tbsp salt
    • Juice of 1/2 lemon

    For layering

    • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
    • 4 boiled eggs, peeled
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 3 tbsp oil
    • 1/2 cup warm milk with a pinch of saffron
    • 1 tsp kewra water
    • 1 tsp rose water
    • 1/2 tsp biryani masala or garam masala
    • 1/4 cup fried onions
    • 1 tbsp sugar (optional, traditional)

    Method

    1. Marinate the chicken with all the marinade ingredients for at least 2 hours.
    2. Rub potatoes and eggs with turmeric and salt. Prick the potatoes with a fork and fry both in the oil on medium heat until golden, about 8 minutes for the potatoes and 2 minutes for the eggs. Set aside.
    3. In the same pan add 2 tbsp ghee, then the chicken with its marinade. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is about 80 percent done and the gravy is thick. Add the fried potatoes for the last 10 minutes.
    4. Bring 3 litres of water to a rolling boil with the whole spices, salt and lemon juice. Add the drained rice and cook for 5-6 minutes until about 70 percent done – a grain should break with a firm white core. Drain immediately.
    5. In a heavy pot, spread half the chicken, potatoes and gravy. Layer half the rice over it. Add the remaining chicken, potatoes and eggs, then the rest of the rice.
    6. Drizzle the saffron milk, kewra water, rose water, remaining ghee and sprinkle the biryani masala, sugar and fried onions over the top.
    7. Seal the pot with a tight lid and atta dough, or a layer of foil under the lid. Cook on high heat for 3 minutes, then place on a hot tawa and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes (dum).
    8. Turn off the heat and leave sealed for 10 minutes. Open, gently fold from the sides with a flat spoon, and serve each plate with a piece of chicken, a potato and an egg.

    Tips

    • Prick and pre-fry the potatoes; raw potatoes will not cook through during dum.
    • Use a light hand with kewra and rose water – more than a teaspoon each makes the biryani taste soapy.
    • Aged basmati absorbs less water and stays separate; new-crop rice tends to break.

    Serve with

    Chicken chaap or mutton rezala, with a cool raita and sliced onions.

  • Begun Bhaja

    Begun bhaja is the simplest of Bengali fries and one of the most loved. A plate of hot rice, dal and a slice of fried brinjal is everyday comfort, and begun bhaja is also one of the five fries traditionally served at Saraswati Puja and with khichuri on rainy days.

    Large round brinjals are cut into thick discs, scored, coated in a dry rub of turmeric, chilli powder, salt and a pinch of sugar, and shallow fried in mustard oil. The outside turns brown and slightly crisp while the inside goes soft and custardy. Some families dust the slices with a little rice flour or besan for extra crunch.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Total time30 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbrinjal / mustard oil / turmeric

    Ingredients

    • 1 large round brinjal (about 400 g)
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp rice flour (optional, for crispness)
    • 5-6 tbsp mustard oil

    Method

    1. Cut the brinjal into 1.5 cm thick round slices. Lightly score both sides of each slice in a criss-cross pattern so the spices penetrate.
    2. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, sugar and salt. Rub the mixture evenly on both sides of every slice and leave for 10 minutes. The slices will release a little moisture.
    3. If using rice flour, pat a thin dusting on both sides of each slice and shake off the excess.
    4. Heat mustard oil in a flat frying pan until it smokes, then reduce the heat to medium.
    5. Place the slices in a single layer. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the underside is deep golden brown.
    6. Flip, add a little more oil around the edges if the pan looks dry, cover and cook on medium-low for 3-4 minutes until a knife slides through the centre easily.
    7. Remove onto a plate and serve immediately while the edges are still crisp.

    Tips

    • Brinjal soaks up oil quickly; resting the salted slices first draws out moisture and means they absorb less.
    • Covering the pan after flipping steams the centre so the slice is cooked through before the outside burns.
    • Choose a brinjal that is heavy and glossy with few seeds.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with masoor dal, or with khichuri on a rainy day.

  • Jhal Muri

    Jhal muri is the snack of Kolkata's streets, sold from tin canisters by vendors at stations, college gates and the Maidan. 'Jhal' means spicy, and the vendor's rhythm of scooping, shaking and folding it into a paper cone is part of the experience. It is eaten at any hour, most often with evening tea or during a long train ride.

    Unlike the tamarind-sweet bhel of Mumbai, jhal muri is dry and pungent. Raw mustard oil, sometimes with a spoon of oil from a mango pickle jar, coats crisp puffed rice, and chopped onion, green chilli, cucumber, coriander, boiled potato and peanuts add texture. A spiced masala and lime finish it. It must be eaten immediately before the muri softens.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time10 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspuffed rice / mustard oil / onion / peanuts

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups muri (puffed rice), crisp
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1 small cucumber, finely chopped
    • 1 small tomato, deseeded and chopped
    • 1 boiled potato, diced small
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 3 tbsp roasted peanuts
    • 2 tbsp chanachur or sev
    • 1 tbsp raw mustard oil (or mango pickle oil)
    • 1/2 tsp bhaja masala (dry-roasted cumin, coriander and red chilli, ground)
    • 1/4 tsp black salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp fresh coconut slivers (optional)

    Method

    1. If the muri is even slightly limp, dry-roast it in a kadhai on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it crackles. Let it cool.
    2. In a large bowl or steel container with a lid, combine onion, cucumber, tomato, potato, green chillies and coriander.
    3. Add the mustard oil, bhaja masala, black salt and lemon juice and mix well.
    4. Tip in the muri and peanuts. Cover and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds, as the vendors do, so every grain is coated.
    5. Add the chanachur and coconut slivers and toss once more.
    6. Taste and adjust salt or lemon, and serve immediately in paper cones or bowls.

    Tips

    • Mix only what will be eaten at once – the wet vegetables soften the puffed rice within minutes.
    • Pungent kachi ghani mustard oil is essential; any neutral oil makes it taste like a different snack.
    • Make a batch of bhaja masala by dry-roasting 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and 2 dry red chillies, then grinding fine.

    Serve with

    A cup of hot milky tea in the evening.

  • Dalma

    Dalma is the everyday dal-and-vegetable stew of Odisha and a fixture of the Jagannath temple's mahaprasad, where it is cooked without onion, garlic, tomato or chillies. In homes it is eaten almost daily with rice and is considered wholesome enough to be a full meal on its own. Odia restaurants now serve it as the anchor of a thali.

    Toor dal, or sometimes chana dal, is boiled with chunks of vegetables until both are soft but the vegetables still hold their shape. The dal is mildly sweet from pumpkin and raw papaya, earthy from raw banana and yam. The defining touch is a dry-roasted powder of cumin and dried red chillies sprinkled at the end, and a panch phoron tempering in ghee.

    At a glance

    RegionOdisha
    CuisineOdia
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstoor dal / pumpkin / raw papaya / raw banana / brinjal

    Ingredients

    For the dal

    • 3/4 cup toor dal, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes
    • 1 cup pumpkin, cut into 3 cm cubes
    • 1 cup raw papaya, cut into cubes
    • 1 raw banana, peeled and cut into cubes
    • 1 small brinjal, cubed
    • 1/2 cup elephant foot yam (optional), cubed
    • 1 inch ginger, grated
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 3 cups water
    • Salt to taste

    For the tempering and finish

    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp panch phoron
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 tbsp grated coconut
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 dry red chillies, dry-roasted and ground (bhaja masala)

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked toor dal with turmeric and 2 cups water for 2 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
    2. If using yam, boil it separately for 5 minutes in salted water and drain; this reduces its itchiness.
    3. Open the cooker, add the pumpkin, papaya, raw banana, brinjal, yam, ginger, salt and 1 cup water.
    4. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 12-15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are tender and the pumpkin starts to break into the dal.
    5. In a small pan heat the ghee. Add panch phoron, dry red chillies and bay leaves and let them crackle for 15-20 seconds.
    6. Pour the tempering over the dal. Stir in the grated coconut and half the roasted cumin-chilli powder and simmer for 2 minutes.
    7. Serve hot, sprinkled with the rest of the roasted powder and a little more ghee.

    Tips

    • Do not cook the vegetables in the cooker with the dal – they turn to mush; simmering them in the open pot keeps the texture.
    • For the temple-style version, skip the red chillies in the tempering and use only ginger and ghee.
    • Dalma thickens as it stands; loosen with hot water when reheating.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice with a fry such as aloo bhaja or saga bhaja.

  • Pakhala Bhata

    Pakhala bhata is cooked rice soaked in water, sometimes left overnight to ferment lightly, and it is the food Odisha turns to in the blistering summer. The state even celebrates Pakhala Dibasa on 20 March. Farm workers ate it for centuries because it keeps the body hydrated and cool, and it is offered at the Jagannath temple too.

    There are several styles: jeera pakhala with roasted cumin, dahi pakhala with curd and a tempering, and basi pakhala that has fermented overnight and turned pleasantly sour. The rice itself is bland, so it is eaten with strongly flavoured sides – fried fish, badi chura (crushed lentil dumplings with onion and mustard oil), aloo bharta and saga bhaja.

    At a glance

    RegionOdisha
    CuisineOdia
    DietVegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time5 minutes
    Total time15 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscooked rice / curd / curry leaves / ginger

    Ingredients

    For the rice

    • 2 cups cooked rice, cooled
    • 3 cups water, at room temperature or chilled
    • 1/2 cup plain curd, whisked
    • 1 tsp grated ginger
    • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp chopped coriander
    • A few mint leaves (optional)

    For the tempering

    • 1 tsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 dry red chilli
    • 8-10 curry leaves

    Method

    1. For basi pakhala, put the cooked rice in a clay or steel pot, cover with water and leave overnight at room temperature. For instant pakhala, simply soak the cooled rice in water for 1-2 hours.
    2. Gently break up any lumps of rice with your fingers so the grains float loosely in the water.
    3. Whisk the curd with salt, ginger and green chilli and stir it into the rice and water.
    4. Heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it smokes, then lower the heat. Add mustard seeds and let them pop, then cumin, red chilli and curry leaves. Fry for 10 seconds.
    5. Pour the tempering over the rice and stir. Add coriander and torn mint leaves.
    6. Rest for 10 minutes so the flavours mingle, then serve in bowls with plenty of the water.

    Tips

    • Overnight fermentation in hot weather can go too sour; in peak summer 6-8 hours is enough.
    • Use a starchy local rice rather than basmati – the grains soften and give the water body.
    • Serve with a squeeze of lime and raw onion if you skip the curd.

    Serve with

    Fried fish or badi chura, aloo bharta and a slice of raw onion.

  • Shukto

    Shukto is the opening course of a traditional Bengali lunch, served with the first mouthfuls of rice to stimulate the appetite and, by old belief, cleanse the palate. It shows up at weddings, at shraddha meals and on summer afternoons, when its bitterness is thought to cool the body. Every family has its own mix of vegetables and its own balance of bitter and sweet.

    The taste is subtle rather than harsh. Bitter gourd sets the tone, while raw banana, sweet potato, drumsticks, brinjal and broad beans add softness and sweetness. The sauce is thickened with a little mustard and poppy seed paste and finished with milk and ghee, and the tempering of radhuni or panch phoron gives it a distinct aroma. Bori, sun-dried lentil dumplings, add crunch.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbitter gourd / raw banana / sweet potato / drumstick / milk

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • 1 small bitter gourd, thinly sliced into rounds
    • 1 raw banana, peeled and cut into batons
    • 1 small sweet potato, cut into batons
    • 1 drumstick, cut into 7 cm pieces
    • 1 small brinjal, cut into batons
    • 8-10 broad beans (sheem), stringed
    • 1/2 cup bori (dried lentil dumplings)

    For the paste and sauce

    • 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
    • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
    • 1 inch ginger
    • 3 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp panch phoron or 1/2 tsp radhuni
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Soak the mustard and poppy seeds in warm water for 20 minutes, then grind with the ginger and a pinch of salt into a smooth paste.
    2. Heat the mustard oil in a kadhai until smoking, then lower to medium. Fry the bori for 1-2 minutes until golden and remove. In the same oil fry the bitter gourd slices for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned; remove and keep aside.
    3. Add the ghee to the pan, then the panch phoron and bay leaves. Let them crackle for 15 seconds.
    4. Add the raw banana, sweet potato, drumstick, brinjal and beans. Stir-fry on medium heat for 5 minutes until the edges lightly colour.
    5. Add salt and 1 cup water. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
    6. Stir in the mustard-poppy paste, sugar and the fried bitter gourd and bori. Simmer for 3 minutes on low heat.
    7. Pour in the milk and stir gently. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is creamy and lightly thickened, then finish with a spoon of ghee.

    Tips

    • Fry the bitter gourd separately and add it at the end so its bitterness stays in check and does not overwhelm the stew.
    • Stir gently with a flat spatula; the vegetables should stay in distinct pieces, not turn mushy.
    • Radhuni (wild celery seed) gives the most authentic aroma; if unavailable, a pinch of ajwain can stand in.

    Serve with

    The first course of rice at a Bengali lunch, followed by dal and fish.

  • Rasgulla

    Rasgulla is the sweet most associated with Bengal, and Kolkata confectioner Nobin Chandra Das is credited with creating the spongy version in 1868 in Bagbazar. Odisha has its own older tradition of rasagola linked to the Jagannath temple in Puri, and both states received GI tags for their versions. The Bengali style is whiter, springier and soaked in a thin syrup.

    A good rasgulla squeezes like a sponge and springs back, releasing syrup with every bite. The whole secret lies in the chhena: it must be made from full-cream cow milk, drained but still moist, and kneaded until perfectly smooth so the balls do not crack in the boiling syrup. They are served chilled or at room temperature, often in an earthen bhaar.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / lemon juice

    Ingredients

    For the chhena

    • 1 litre full-cream cow milk
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 2 tbsp water
    • 2 cups ice-cold water

    For the syrup

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 4 cups water
    • 2 green cardamoms, lightly crushed (optional)
    • 1 tsp rose water (optional)

    Method

    1. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy pan. Turn off the heat, wait 1 minute, then add the diluted lemon juice a spoon at a time, stirring gently, until the milk splits into white curds and clear greenish whey.
    2. Immediately add the ice-cold water to stop the curds cooking further. Pour through a muslin cloth, rinse under running water to remove the lemon taste, and squeeze lightly.
    3. Hang the chhena for 30-40 minutes so it is drained but still moist; it should hold together when pressed but not drip water.
    4. Transfer to a plate and knead with the heel of your palm for 8-10 minutes until completely smooth and your palm feels slightly greasy. Divide into 12-14 small balls, rolling each between your palms until there are no cracks.
    5. In a wide pressure cooker or deep pan, boil the sugar and water with the cardamom on high heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is rolling.
    6. Drop the balls into the boiling syrup. Cover and cook on high heat for 15 minutes in an open pan, or for 1 whistle and 5 minutes on low in a pressure cooker. The balls will double in size.
    7. Turn off the heat. If using an open pan, sprinkle a few spoons of cold water over the syrup after the first 5 minutes of boiling to keep it thin. Let the rasgullas cool in the syrup, add rose water, and chill for at least 4 hours.

    Tips

    • If the balls crack in the syrup, the chhena was either too dry or not kneaded enough; if they dissolve, it was too wet.
    • The syrup must stay thin and at a rolling boil the entire time – thick syrup gives hard, chewy rasgullas.
    • Use cow milk; buffalo milk chhena is fattier and makes denser, less spongy balls.

    Serve with

    Chilled, two to a bowl with a little syrup, at the end of a meal.

  • Mishti Doi

    Mishti doi, literally sweet curd, is set in unglazed clay pots that absorb excess moisture and give the curd its dense, almost fudgy texture. Bengal's sweet-shop culture made it a fixture at weddings, annaprashan ceremonies and Sunday lunches, and the versions from Nabadwip in Nadia district and from Bogra in present-day Bangladesh are especially famous.

    The milk is reduced until thick, and sugar or nolen gur (date palm jaggery) is caramelised before it goes in, which gives the curd its pale brown colour and deep, toffee-like sweetness. It should be thick enough to cut with a spoon, sweet with only a gentle tang at the end. In winter many families make it with nolen gur instead of sugar.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / curd

    Ingredients

    • 1 litre full-fat milk
    • 1/2 cup sugar (or 100 g nolen gur in winter)
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 3 tbsp thick plain curd, at room temperature, as starter
    • Earthen pots or a clay handi

    Method

    1. Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and simmer on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides, until it reduces to about two-thirds.
    2. Meanwhile, put 1/4 cup of the sugar with 2 tbsp water in a small pan on medium heat. Do not stir; swirl the pan until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber, about 4-5 minutes.
    3. Lower the heat and carefully pour a ladle of the hot milk into the caramel – it will splutter. Stir until the caramel dissolves, then pour this back into the reduced milk with the remaining sugar. Stir until fully dissolved.
    4. Let the milk cool until it feels comfortably warm when you dip a finger in, around 40-45 C.
    5. Whisk the starter curd smooth in a bowl, add a ladle of the warm milk, mix, then stir it into the rest of the milk.
    6. Pour into earthen pots, cover with a plate, and leave in a warm, undisturbed place (an off oven with the light on works) for 7-8 hours until set firm.
    7. Once set, refrigerate for at least 3 hours. It will firm up further and taste less tangy when chilled.

    Tips

    • Soak new clay pots in water for an hour and dry them before use, or they will smell of raw clay.
    • If using nolen gur, add it only after the milk has cooled slightly, or the jaggery can curdle the milk.
    • A deeper caramel gives more colour and a slightly bitter edge; stop at amber if you prefer it mellow.

    Serve with

    Chilled, straight from the clay pot, after a festive meal.

  • Sandesh

    Sandesh is the most refined of the Bengali chhena sweets and comes in dozens of styles, from the soft 'naram pak' to the firmer 'kora pak', and from plain cardamom to nolen gur, mango or chocolate versions. Kolkata institutions such as Bhim Chandra Nag and Balaram Mullick built their names on it, and carved wooden moulds shaped like shells, fish and flowers are part of its charm.

    Unlike rasgulla, sandesh is not cooked in syrup. Fresh chhena is kneaded with sugar and cooked very briefly in a pan until it forms a smooth dough that leaves the sides. Too little cooking and it will not set, too much and it turns grainy. The homemade naram pak version below is soft, melts in the mouth and tastes clearly of fresh milk.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time10 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 litre full-cream cow milk
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 2 tbsp water
    • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (about 50 g)
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tsp warm milk (optional)
    • 8-10 pistachios, slivered

    Method

    1. Boil the milk, turn off the heat, and after a minute add the diluted lemon juice slowly while stirring until the milk curdles completely into chhena and greenish whey.
    2. Strain through muslin, rinse with cold water, and squeeze gently. Hang for 20-30 minutes until most of the water has drained but the chhena is still soft.
    3. Knead the chhena on a plate with the heel of your palm for 5 minutes until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and knead for another 2 minutes.
    4. Transfer to a non-stick pan on the lowest heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, for 5-7 minutes. The mixture will loosen first as the sugar melts, then dry out.
    5. Stop as soon as it starts to come together as a soft mass and leaves the sides of the pan. Do not let it brown.
    6. Transfer to a plate, add cardamom powder and saffron, and knead lightly once it is cool enough to handle, about 2 minutes, until smooth.
    7. Divide into 12 portions and shape into discs, or press into sandesh moulds. Top with slivered pistachio and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Overcooking is the most common mistake – take the pan off the heat while the mixture still looks a little moist; it firms up as it cools.
    • For nolen gurer sandesh, replace the sugar with an equal weight of grated nolen gur and cook a minute longer.
    • Keep sandesh refrigerated and eat within two days; it is best on the day it is made.

    Serve with

    On its own with tea, or as part of a mishti platter after lunch.