Bhapa Sandesh

I happened to taste this Sandesh somewhere & liked it & since then I was searching for its recipe. This particular type is made by steaming home-made cottage cheese & that's why the name is Bhapa (Steamed) Sandesh. Came across Mix & Stir and there it was. Rumela took some great photographs too. I tried this hoping to make them as good as hers. I only changed the way I made my cottage cheese. I used curds to make paneer instead of lemon or vinegar & used cow milk.

Ingredient (makes 10 pieces)
2 liters cow milk
6-7 tbsp Sugar or according to taste
Curds to make paneer
A pinch of Cardamom Powder
2-3 tbsp Chopped Pistachios ( optional )
Few strands Saffron mixed in a tsp of milk ( optional )

Method
Boil the milk in a big pan and stir continuously, lower the flame pour curds & Stir the milk.
Once the milk starts curdling, and it changes into chenna (cottage cheese), remove from heat.
Leave the chenna or paneer in this condition for 5-7 minutes.
Put it over a soft cotton cloth / or a cheese cloth & let all the water drain away.
Hang the chenna along with the cloth for 30 minutes.
Now in a big bowl, take the chenna out, add sugar and mix it nicely.
Once it gets soft and smooth, add the cardamom powder. Again knead it nicely, until you feel oily on your palm.
Take a steel container, grease it with non-stick spray or butter.
Pour the cheese mixture into the container, sprinkle the saffron strands and cover it with lid.
Take a pressure cooker, add 1 cup water & place the container carefully. Cover the cooker's with lid. But don't put the pressure regulator weight over the vent pipe.
Let it cook on low to medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Once it is done, let it cool down first at room temperature. Then put the container into the refrigerator for half an hour.
Sprinkle or decorated with some dry fruits, cut it into pieces and serve!

Tips
* Note that the Chenna shouldn’t get too dry. If it gets dry, the Sandesh won’t be soft enough.
* You can use food processor for the mixing & kneading.
* If you don't have any container with lid, cover it tightly with aluminum foil.
* If you want to avoid the pressure cooking method, take a microwave proof bowl, grease it, pour the mixture and cook it for 5 to 8 minutes.