Sondesh/Sandesh – Bengali Sondesh – Easy to make, Tasty to eat

How it started.

Morning. The milk, as usual, sat on the stove fire in a pan.

And lo behold.

As the boiling point comes, the milk starts curdling.

I am surprised, and pressing the palm on my fore, I start thinking what to do with this one and a half liter of curdled milk.

Idea. Rushed to the fridge, opened it and took out two fresh lime.

Simmered the flame. Cut the lime, squeezed out the juice. And then added a little water to it and poured the lime juice into the curdling milk pan.

Flame put on high.

The solid separates. Few minutes till the Chenna is ready.

Kalakand – Something sweet for Makar Sankranti

Among the many different kind of sweets found in India, Kalakand holds a place for itself. In this country of diversity, food has its own role to play. Food in the eastern region may be a bit different from the western part while food in the north and the south may be poles apart in taste, but people love to eat and enjoy food that may not be very common in their region. Food also bring together people of this country that has an uniqueness of ‘unity in diversity’.

Sweet Dish – Something which my Mother made Tasty and Different…Ma's Homely Kalakand

This is a simple Sweet Dish which my Ma made and how we relished it.

…and I made this specially when my milkman gave me large quantities of milk that curdled in his huge milk can during the peak summer days.

Knowing very well that he would not return with the curdled milk, he would come to me and ask if I would like to have some and that too without paying for it. He travelled long distance from early morning distributing the required quantity in different homes.

Semai Payesh – Vermicelli Kheer – Vermicelli Pudding

Hello friends, that’s what I’ve to say first. I missed you all...but I had spent some good time as I travelled a lot. Back to this space - today let me share a sweet dish as I write down my recipe and natter with you.

Payesh, Kheer, Pudding, give it any name but the taste is the same. At this time of the year...it’s very cold here in Delhi...I know you all know about it but the cold makes me speak about it. How I wish this winter could bring some snow to this city. Some will think I’m jabbering but believe me I’m thinking seriously...some kids story building up...Oops! hope not giving you the ‘Bore Feel’...I’m sombre about my writing thoughts...

Leaving all my thoughts aside back to my Payesh. A sweet dish after a full-meal...the typical Bangali thought...and that’s happening in my home most of the days...

Payesh making is so simple...for most of the ingredients are available at home any and every time.

Milk and sugar the main ingredients of Payesh/Kheer.

Cook payesh/kheer/pudding with rice, vermicelli, cheese, or even sabudana. These are the most preferred payesh/kheer/pudding ingredients that need to be added to the milk to cook this dish. Rice (uncooked) is available in every Indian home. I also feel vermicelli is in the monthly grocery list of many households.

Rasins and cashew nuts are also stored in air tight jars and placed on the kitchen shelf...am I not right?

Without much talking let me tell you how I cooked my Semai (Vermicelli) Payesh/Kheer.

1 ½ full-cream milk put to boil in a thick bottom pan.

In the meantime light the other burner and dry roast ½ cup of vermicelli till it turns to a dark pink shade...you may want it in a more softer pink, try your way. Remove and keep it in a small bowl. If you want you can roast the vermicelli with some ghee, but I prefer to dry roast...

Let the milk cook over fire for 5-7 minutes. Now time to add the roasted vermicelli to the milk and let it cook over high flame.

When the milk has reduced to less than half and the vermicelli is cooked, add sugar, here your taste buds have to do the magic...I’ll say sugar as per your taste. Winter and Nalen Gur a good combo for this time of the year...can add this gur (jiggery) to the payesh for the distinctive flavour of the gur. Read about my Nalen Gurer Payesh here.

Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Semai payesh is ready to be served...I like it hot and even a bowl of cold payesh goes well for me.

If you are interested to add raisins and cashew nuts, fry the raisins with some ghee for a minute or two and keep it aside for later use. Before removing the Payesh from the flame add the raisins and cashew nuts and cook for a minute or two. You can decorate a bowl of payesh with some finely chopped pistachio. Again here I come in with my taste...love to enjoy my cashew nuts and salted pistachio...munching away while doing some reading, watching the TV or while working on my laptop. And how can I forget the Cheena badam, this is none other than the roasted peanuts. Love to crack the shell, rub off the pink skin from the peanuts with the fingers and then blow the skin away before throwing in the nuts into the mouth.

Having said a lot for the day, I’m back to relish a bowl of my Simple & Easy Semai Payesh.

Nalen Gurer Payesh

When winter comes, Bengalis are in the lookout for Nalen Gur. Nalen Gur aka Patali Gur alias Khejur Gur. With so many names you can well imagine its importance...where?...in the world of Sweets.

A little about Nalen Gur. You can go on and on talking about it, the Kheju gacher rosh (date palm liquid) collected in small earthen pots that are hung to the slits made near the top portion of the palm trees, which is collected for use. This Khejurer rosh (liquid) can be consumed in its liquid form, which many like to drink. When this liquid is cooked it turns to khejur gur...in liquid and solid form.

I got my quota of Patali Gur when the fresh stocks reached the market. Eat it with rotis and parathas, tastes great. Best used in my home in Payesh. Sweet shops sell nalen gurer rosogolla, and the gurer sandesh which come in two forms - kancha gola and kara paag - tastes heavenly.

I like my nalen gurer payesh very simple as I love to relish the smell and taste of it.

For my Nalen Gurer Payesh:

Milk (full cream) 1 ½ ltrs.

Gobindo Bhog Rice ½ cup

Sugar ½ cup

Nalen Gur about 1 cup after breaking the hard gur into small granules

You can adjust the sweetness to you taste.

Put the milk to boil. By then wash the rice and keep it. Let the milk boil for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the rice to the boiling milk. Keep stirring the boiling milk from time to time. After 5 minutes simmer the flame and let the rice cook in the milk. Another 15 minutes the rice is cooked and the milk reduced to less than half. Now add the sugar and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Time to add the gur and make sure all the solids chunks get dissolved.

The payesh is now ready to be served. Eat it hot or cold and get the taste and smell of the gur. A simple payesh, easy for learners too.

Sweet Dish – Chaler Payesh/Rice Kheer/Rice Pudding

Payesh has a special place in our house. Whoever has tasted it cooked by me has always come back with their request…for another payesh treat. Payesh is very special in our house on birthdays. Even on my birthday I cook payesh…why not…I’m the cook of my home.

At home everyone has a sweet tooth and love to have a sweet dish after dinner…payesh is mostly ready in hand…cooked and placed in the refrigerator…eaten whenever the taste buds yearn for it.

I remember there was the time when the milkman came with his milk can, knocking at the door to deliver his daily milk supply for the home. Now milk is available in packets or at the milk booths. The milk that came with the milkman was full of cream. The layer of cream (known as Shaar in Bengali) that spread on the top after the milk was boiled and cooled down was gently removed and collected in a bowl. This creamy layer was collected for about a week. Later the cream was placed in a kadhai and the slow fire did the magic…the aroma of ghee would spread all across the house…moving out from the kitchen to each and every place that gave it a space to enter. In this slow cooking the ghee was released from the cream in the kadhai and collected in a glass bottle. As for the Shaar, it got cooked and took a brown colour later to be relished with a spread of sugar. Many people like Shaar Bhaja…that’s a Bengali treat.

Home-made ghee…can’t think about it now.

Well I’m sharing with you my Chaler Payesh preparation.

For this we need:

Milk - 1 litre

Basmati Rice - just a fistful

Sugar - as per your sweet tooth

Bay leaves - 4

Elaich (cardamom) - 4 pods coarsely crushed

Salt - just a small pinch

How I make:

Soak the rice in water for half or quarter of an hour.

Boil the milk. When the first boil comes add the rice and keep stirring. After having cooked for sometime when the milk starts reducing add the bay leaves. Keep stirring to avoid the rice from sticking to the bottom. Keep on stirring till the rice is cooked. Now add sugar as per your taste and cook for sometime. Add the salt (balances the taste) and keep stirring till the milk takes a pinkish tinge. By now the milk has been reduced to less than half…will look somewhat like rabadi…very creamy. Add the elaich powder after removing from fire.

Serve hot or cold. You can smack your lips after tasting a serving of hot payesh…be careful not to burn your mouth.

Elderly people prefer a thinner payesh…can use little more rice and don’t reduce the milk too much.