Rabdi Sandesh

Ingredients to make Rabdi Sandesh:

1 cup Chhana (Homemade cottage cheese)

6 cups full cream milk

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar

2-3 pods of green cardamom

1/2 tsp. ghee for greasing

Few Cardamom for garnishing

Process to make Rabdi Sandesh:

1. For making homemade cottage cheese or chhana take 5 cups of milk in a heavy bottom pan. Bring it to a boil on high heat. When the milk starts boiling reduce the heat and add vinegar or lime juice to it. As soon as the milk curdles turn off the heat and stir it well.

2. Line a strainer with cheese cloth and pour the curdled milk over it. Wash chhana with running cold water to wash off any residual acidity. Bring the sides of the cheese cloth together and squeeze it to drain the excess water. Don’t drain it too hard.

3. Take chhana in a flat tray and knead it with the heel of your palm. Add 2 tbsp. of sugar and crushed cardamom seeds. The chhana mixture should be moist. If you feel its not moist enough add few drops of milk to it.

4. Grease a steel Tiffin box with ghee and spread the chhana evenly. Pour half cup water in the cooker and carefully place the closed tiffin box inside it. The water level should cover 1/3 of the height of the tiffin box. Cook it on medium heat without the pressure-weight for 15 minutes.

5. Allow the tiffin box to cool down completely. Remove the cover and place a plate upside down on top of the open tiffin box. Turn it over. Now your Sandesh is ready. Cut it into squares.

6. In a heavy bottom pan take milk and cook it on medium heat till the color changes to one shade darker of its original one. Don’t forget to stir it continuously. By this time it will be reduced to its half. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and freshly crushed cardamom seeds. Stir well.

Add steamed chhana cubes and turn off the heat. Let it stand for couple of hours before you serve.