Happy Rakshabandhan !

 

Rakshabandhan just like any other festival is quite different this year, as we are compromising on something or the other. However celebrations are celebrations after all and we don’t want to give them a miss. Despite the gloom and melancholy that covid or the circumstances has surrounded the humanity with, we make an effort every time in the ways we can, to stay happy and positive, after all we cannot stay sad for long and harm our mental well being. Now since festivities are here to rejoice, I tried to spread some happiness and positivity with them too.

 The resources or luxuries that we are used to, are not within our reach all the time in the current scenario. So you have to put a little more effort to plan something for the celebrations. But when mangoes are still available you don’t have to think much for the ingredient of your dessert, so I thought of applying them in my recipe. This sweet is particularly my brother’s favourite, & so was perfect to make them on the occasion of Rakshabandhan to give him a sweet treat. I remember I have made this sweet three years back on the same occasion when foodiestreasure was not even born in my imagination. However this time it came out with more perfection. You can see the picture below that I had made then.😊

The name Dim Shondesh (“Dim” meaning egg in Bengali ) came from the fact that the oval shaped shondesh looks like an egg or “Dim” and more appropriately because when you cut it apart, it resembles a boiled egg cut into halves, with the yellowish-orange yolk like portion enclosed inside the white portion. May be due to this interesting feature, I was very much curious about it as a child. Though Dim shondesh are not so common nowadays, you may get them in few sweetmeat shops across Kolkata, West Bengal, Assam or Tripura in India or in neihbouring Bangladesh. 

However, this Shondesh is more of a play of colours. There are no rules regarding the flavours you can put into it or the ingredient for the filling inside. I preferred to flavour the yellow orange portion with mango and the white part with mild rose essence. You may use khoya for your filling which is usually found, instead of coconut based on your taste.But the result of what I made was pleasing to the eyes as well as tongue and most importantly for my brother it was truly a feast, which made him happy like a child.

So, if you want to try this Dim Shondesh in your home, here is the recipe below :

RECIPE :

Ingredients :

1.Freshly made chhena (Cottage cheese) – 200 gm.

or

Milk (full fat) – 750 ml

2. Coconut (grated) – 1/2 cup

3. Mango pulp – of half mango.

4. Rose water – 1 tsp.

5. Sugar – 4 tsp (for chhena coat)

     2 tsp (for filling)

Preparation –

A.   For preparation of filling :

1. Melt sugar in a pan with little water over a low flame by stirring in to make a syrup.
2. Add grated coconut, mix & stir.
3. Keep stirring until the coconut mixture turns sticky when touched using your fingers.
4. Add mango pulp and mix by stirring the mixture.
5. Cook for a while.
6. Bring down the mixture and let it cool.

B. For preparation of outer chhena coat

1. For preparation of chhena, you may visit my previous post of Kheer Tua.

2. Take your chhena in a plate or dish and knead well using your palm so that no granules or lumps are left.

[Note : Kneading is a key step in making any kind of chhena shondesh, so perfect kneading will give you perfect shondesh. Knead only till your chhena starts releasing fat i.e. your palm becomes slightly greasy. Do not over do, as this may turn your chhena dry.]

3. Add rose water and mix well.

4. In a pan, take little water ( 1 or 2 tbsp) and add your sugar.

5. Stir over a medium flame to make a thick sugar syrup.

6. Bring down from flame, add your chhena and mix properly by stirring in continuously.

7. Now, stir the mixture for 1 or 2 minutes over a low flame. Do not cook for longer as it will make your mixture dry and crumbly.

8. Switch off the flame & let it cool slightly.

9. Knead the mixture little more to make it smooth.

10. Take small portion of the mixture, shape it like a small bowl i.e. make space for your filling. Put the filling in the center and cover gently with chhena coating. Shape it into ovals like the shape of an egg. Do it gently without pressing much to keep the filling intact inside.

11. Cut your chhena egg into halves to get your perfect ‘Dim Shondesh‘ ready to be gobbled up.