Pineapple Sandesh is a light, attractive mithai (dessert) from the state of Bengal in India. It is by far one of the easiest Indian dessert recipes, I have come across. It is literally made with 2 ingredients Pineapple and Chenna (unripened cheese made from milk), which is very similar to the Indian cottage cheese also known as Paneer. It is not only appealing to the eyes but it’s a lot more healthier than most Indian desserts. Imagine biting into a layer of cheese served on the juicy, sweet and tangy pineapples and garnished with nuts. Yum!!! Yum!!! Yum!!!
I have to admit that for me Bengali mithai’s rank above all. I guess what I like about Bengali sweets is that they are made with chenna and most of the mithai’s are moist and juicy. Honestly the Mithai scene here is nowhere close to back home because most of the mithai’s here are made from powdered milk and not fresh milk. I think not using fresh milk compromises the taste as well as the moisture in the mithai.
So one afternoon a close friend had invited us for lunch to get to meet his family who were visiting him from India. The family was kind enough to prepare some exotic Indian food for us and my friends sister (Dida) actually made this dessert for us. At the first sight itself I knew I am going to love this and this recipe is going on the blog. So here I am sharing Dida’s Pineapple Sandesh recipe. Needless to day that it sure is a crowd pleaser and everybody appreciates the fact that it’s not super sweet and loaded with greasing agents like oil, butter and ghee. Next celebration, wow your guests.
For Chenna
- ½ gallon whole milk
- 2 lemons, large
- 8 [Pineapple slices
For Flavoring
- ¼ teaspoon rose water
- 2 tbsp sugar
For Garnishing
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds (if available)
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup almonds, halved
- ¼ cup pistachios
- 5 to 6 strands of Saffron or Kesar
- 2 tbsp water
!For making Chenna Bring the milk to boil. Add lemon juice to the boiling milk and continue boiling it on slow heat until the milk curdles completely. Pour it into a cheese cloth. Rinse it thoroughly under cold water to get rid of the lemon juice. Hold the cloth tighlty and squeeze out all the excess water. Add powdered sugar and essence for flavoring Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until it’s soft and smooth. Chenna is ready. !For Garnishing Soak saffron strands in water for a couple minutes. Spread a layer of Chenna on the pineapple slices. Garnish with dried fruits or nuts of your choices. You could use pomegranate seeds, almonds, raisins, cranberries, pistachios. Drizzle some Saffron water onto the pineapple slices. Cut them into halves or quarters and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Products Used
For Chenna
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- 2 lemons, large
- 8 [Pineapple slices
For Flavoring
- 1/4 tsp rose water
- 2 tbsp sugar
For Garnishing
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (if available)
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup almonds, halved
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 5 to 6 strands of Saffron or Kesar
- 2 tbsp water
!For making Chenna Bring the milk to boil. Add lemon juice to the boiling milk and continue boiling it on slow heat until the milk curdles completely. Pour it into a cheese cloth. Rinse it thoroughly under cold water to get rid of the lemon juice. Hold the cloth tighlty and squeeze out all the excess water. Add powdered sugar and essence for flavoring Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until it’s soft and smooth. Chenna is ready. !For Garnishing Soak saffron strands in water for a couple minutes. Spread a layer of Chenna on the pineapple slices. Garnish with dried fruits or nuts of your choices. You could use pomegranate seeds, almonds, raisins, cranberries, pistachios. Drizzle some Saffron water onto the pineapple slices. Cut them into halves or quarters and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Find it online : https://thebellyrulesthemind.net/pineapple-sandesh/
