Nolen Gur Sandesh or Gur Sandesh is an Indian sweet usually common in Eastern India. I am so excited to share this Nolen Gur Sandesh recipe with you; it is a favorite in my house.
Sandesh is a traditional Bengali sweet made using chenna or cottage cheese and is usually sweetened with jaggery or sugar. It is also flavored with spices most often.
This Sandesh is rich and flavorful and melts in the mouth when you bite it. Make sure you make at least twice the recipe because this one will get over in minutes.
What is Sandesh?
Being Bengali myself, I take pride in sharing this recipe with you. Sandesh or sondesh is very close to every Bengali out there, and we always have at least one sandesh lying in our refrigerator. In this blog post, you will get to know how to make Sandesh using chenna or, as I will be showing, from scratch with milk.
History of Sandesh
The introduction of ‘chhana’ in Bengali cuisine happened after the Portuguese invaded Bengal. Yet, it’s interesting how, today, most of the characteristic Bengali sweets are made primarily from fresh ‘chhana’ (cottage cheese) and sugar. The curdling of milk with an acidic substance was forbidden according to Hindu cultures, but the Portuguese loved their cheese.
After settling down in and around Kolkata in the 17th century, the Portuguese tradition of making sweets with cheese inspired the local cuisine as well. The Bengali confectioners then picked up this incredible art of curdling milk and creating mouth-watering ‘Sandesh’ and ‘rasgullas,’ among others. Read more here.
Sondesh is derived from the Hindi word ‘Sandesh,’ which means news or message. Bengalis practiced this tradition of sending sweets or food as a gift to families and friends; hence, the sweet got its name. Read more here.
About this Sandesh and Nolen Gur Sandesh recipe
Nolen Gur Sandesh is a winter delicacy and is a favorite among Bengalis. Available in perhaps all sweet shops during the winter season, but to make Nolen Gur Sandesh at home from scratch is a different experience altogether. Kora Pak Nolen Gur Sandesh will soothe your taste buds after an extravagant meal or when you are craving some sweets.
“Pak ” refers to cooking on a low flame for a long time. Nolen Gur is the juice extracted from date palm trees in the morning during winter months using deft skills. Kora pak means cooked for a long time, which results in a Sandesh that is typically hard in texture yet melts in the mouth.
I did not use any refined sugar in this Nolen Gur sandesh recipe, and it solely depends on the sweetness of the Nolen Gur. In this recipe, we do not use any store-bought cottage cheese or mawa and make our chenna from scratch.
I procured the Nolen gur from a “gur karkhana” or a jaggery factory in Bakkhali. It is not a traditional factory per se but is a family-run-small-scale business over there. They had three types of gur – nolen gur (new gur), dana gur (grainy gur) and patali gur (solid gur). I bought some Nolen Gur and Patali Gur for my family.
Cooking always leaves me spellbound, and like in this simple recipe, we turn humble chenna into this amazing sweet that just melts in your mouth, bursting with Nolen Gur flavor in such a short period.
Usually, for Nolen Gur Sandesh, we use the leftover whey to make a new batch of chenna or cottage cheese. But you can also use lemon juice to curdle the milk. This recipe not only uses just three ingredients but also doesn’t use any refined sugar as well. Use full-fat milk for mouthfeel and texture. Avoid using toned or skimmed milk.
I shaped my Nolen Gur Sandesh using sandesh molds, which give it the traditional shape. You can also choose to make your Nolen Gur Sandesh simply round, flat, or square in case you do not have molds.
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What equipment do I need to make Nolen Gur Sandesh?
( I bought mine from a local vendor in Dakshineshwar temple when I visited there years back. I found these molds online, and I haven’t used them myself. So please make sure you do your checks, too.)
What ingredients do I need to make Nolen Gur Sandesh?
You will need good quality full-fat milk to make good quality sandesh because the chenna from this milk will become your sandesh. The milk needs to be curdled using a lemon.
For the Sandesh itself, you will need ghee and Nolen Gur. These ingredients are easily available. but if you do not have ghee, simply replace it with gur or jaggery.
How to make nolen gur sandesh recipe?
- Boil the milk and let it simmer.
- Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and stir. The milk will start forming curds. In case it doesn’t start to form curd, add another tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Once the milk curdles, strain it on a strainer lined with a cheesecloth. Reserve the whey for making your next batch of Sandesh because one batch will simply vanish in no time. You can also use this whey for other purposes.
- After two hours, start mashing this chenna on a plate or a clean kitchen surface using the lower portion of your palm.
- Keep mashing it until it turns into a small ball and is not sticking anymore to the surface. This is going to take around 10 minutes.
- Now, heat a heavy-bottomed pan. Add ghee and add the chenna to it.
- Start stirring continuously. Stir for around two minutes.
- Now add the Nolen Gur to it. Keep stirring.
- Ensure that the flame is low and keep stirring till the mixture is almost done, as the rest of the cooking will be done as carry-over cooking.
- The mixture will become thick and will start to resemble a soft dough-like consistency. Remove from the pan and let it rest.
- Grease your sandesh molds using ghee to prevent the sandesh from sticking to them.
- Now place about 15 gm or a roundel of the sandesh mixture in the mold. The amount may vary depending on the mold.
- Press to spread it and then pull it out of the mold.
- Your Nolen Gur sandesh is ready. Place it in the refrigerator to cool down properly.
- Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions about Nolen Gur Sandesh recipe-
Sandesh originates from which region?
Originates in West Bengal in India. Read more about the history of Sandesh written above.
How to store nolen gur Sandesh?
I would recommend storing it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It stays well for up to 5 days. After 5 days, the flavor and aroma won’t be the same as on the day it was made, but it would still be suitable for consumption.
Can I make Sandesh using milk powder?
This recipe calls for full-fat milk, which cannot be replaced. Milk powder can be added during mashing just to enrich it further. I would recommend adding just 30 grams to the recipe. However, the addition of milk powder will make the sandesh texture drier.
Can I make this recipe using plant milk?
No, plant milk cannot be substituted in this recipe. I do not recommend anything that I haven’t tried myself. If you are eager to try, do let me know in the comments, as it would be helpful for others as well.
Pro Tips to nail this recipe:
- Try getting your hands on Nolen Gur because I promise that it will take your sandesh to another level.
- Make sure you mash up the chenna well so that you get a smooth sandesh.
Other festive recipes:
Nolen Gur Sandesh Recipe
Gur Sandesh recipe that is made keeping from scratch. This gur sandesh is naturally sweetened using gur and is made using cottage cheese or chenna. Rich, dense flavors that leaves you craving for more.
Ingredients
- For the chenna/chana/cottage cheese
- Full fat milk- 1 litre
- Lemon- 1 no
- For the nolen gur sandesh:
- Chenna- 200 gm
- Nolen gur- 100 ml
- Ghee- 2 tbsp
Directions
- Step 1 Boil the milk and let it simmer.
- Step 2 Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and stir. The milk will start forming curds. In case it doesn’t, add another tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Step 3 Once the milk curdles, strain it on a strainer lined with a cheesecloth. Reserve the whey for making your next batch of sandesh because one batch will simply vanish in no time. You can also use this whey for other purposes.
- Step 4 After two hours, start mashing this chenna on a plate or a clean kitchen surface using the lower portion of your palm.
- Step 5 Keep mashing it until it turns into a small ball and is not sticking anymore to the surface. This is going to take around 10 minutes.
- Step 6 Now heat a heavy bottomed pan. Add ghee and add the chenna to it.
- Step 7 Start stirring continuously. Stir for around two minutes.
- Step 8 • Now add the nolen gur to it. Keep stirring.
- Step 9 Ensure that the flame is low and keep stirring till the mixture is almost done as the rest of the cooking will be done as carry over cooking.
- Step 10 The mixture will become thick and will start to resemble a soft dough like consistency. Remove from the pan and let it rest.
- Step 11 Grease your sandesh molds using ghee to prevent the sandesh from sticking to it.
- Step 12 Now place about 15 gm or a roundel of the sandesh mixture to the mold.
- Step 13 Press to spread it and then pull it out of the mold.
- Step 14 Your nolen gur sandesh is ready. Place it in the refrigerator to cool down properly.
- Step 15 Enjoy!
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Thank You
Loved this one! Will give it a try this weekend..