Mangoes are of course the darlings of summer and are delectable in all forms, raw ripened, cooked or uncooked, the pulp, the juice, the seasoning everything is just awesome. We can simply say it’s nature’s own made dessert and a divine gift for us, the living creatures especially the human beings who are blessed with the evolved taste buds for relishing these wonders of nature. Though the fruit in itself is enough in its natural form, yet we the human beings cannot stop ourselves from being fanciful in creating varieties of food and desserts out of it. The most wondrous use of mangoes are visible in sweets and desserts when added lifts them to the next level. India is a treasure trove of multiple cuisines and has literally uncountable numbers of food items, be it savouries, sweets & snacks or meals and meal accompaniments. Among all, the sweets and desserts of India are always the celebrated ones, and being an ardent lover of sweets, I feel proud & blessed to be an Indian where sweets define our true nature, our culture, our tradition in infinite ways.

Now, if anyone of you reading this is an Indian, he or she must definitely have heard about the adorable sweetmeat from Bengal, the famous Shondesh and if you happen to be a bengali, then you must be knowing obviously about the unique and famous Jolbhora shondesh of Bengal.

The tale of origin of famous “Jolbhora Shondesh” dates back from 1818 in the undivided Bengal when zamindari system was on the brink and the zamindars and their families then would leave no stones unturned indulging in pompous activities that could enhance their pride and prosperity and food was one of the things that was of prime importance to them which thrived well and evolved in the affluent Zamindar households. In one such Zamindar families in Telenipara, Bhadreswar in Bengal,  the famous Banerjees were reigning as Zamindars. There, the daughter of the elder zamindar was married to the son of the Zamindar of Baidyabati. After the marriage ceremony, it was time for the customary visit of son-in-law to his in-laws’ house coincidently it was on the occasion of Jamai Shashthi (the Bengali festival where son in-laws are invited to their in-law’s house for special blessings and ceremonial feast). Legend has it that the mother-in-law and sister-in-laws wanted to play a prank with the groom which is a way of showing love and bonding towards their beloved son-in-law. So the famous confectioner of that time in Bengal, Sri Suriya Kumar Modak was called upon to make such a sweetmeat by which they can tease the groom. Modak thought and at last, came up with a wonderful idea. He made a gigantic talsansh shondesh (common sondesh in Bengal in the shape of ice-apple seeds) but inside it he poured pure rosewater. When the groom was offered the sweet on his visit, he took a bite thinking it as dry as it seemed and all the rose water inside leaked out and spilled over and made his new Panjabi (kurta) wet. The Zamindar of Telenipara was very happy about the event & the sweet and named this new creation as Jolbhora. Again as the legends say, the Zamindar said to Modak that since anyone may copy it, and since Modak is the inventor, his jalbhora must stand upright in the shelf while those of the others would lay down.

From then onwards, if you go to any outlet of Surja Modak in Chandan Nagar or elsewhere you may be able to see the mouthwatering  jolbhora(s), standing upright with a mark of shining sun on their heart. Since then, Taalshaansh Jolbhora Shondesh of Surya Kumar Modak started becoming famous in Bengal and spread far and wide.  Even now, the famous Modaks of Chandan Nagar in Bengal proudly sell their Jolbhora(s) and the sweet connoisseurs make a beeline for them. Later other famous confectioners of Bengal like Ganguram, Nalin Ch. Das, Krishna Chandra Das, Balram Mullick, Bancharam and alike, all started selling these famous Jalbhara Talsansh Sandesh and also incorporated their own versions like chocolate, nolen gur, or kesaria jalbharas with different fillings. Also, other smaller confectioners tried to copy them and invented their own versions with different shapes, sizes and fillings. Aambhora or mango filled shondesh are also a version of the Jolbhora shondesh prepared in the same way with only replacing the filling of rose water or nolen gur with mango syrup and are fondly relished during this entire season of mangoes. When you can actually taste two of your favourites, mango and shondesh combined together in a divine way.

This unique sweet is interesting indeed and fascinates many including the chefs, food lovers, sweet connoisseurs and food bloggers like me. It has always caught my fancy and at times, I would think of making it myself, however I was unsure of my skills. Now since, mangoes are abundant and since they are one of the tastiest things on earth gifted by god and since they are loved by all of us, I thought why not aambhora instead of jolbhora. I attempted this a couple of times, before finally being able to create it as I desired. If you too want to create and taste this, here goes my recipe:

RECIPE :

Ingredients :

1. Chhena/cottage cheese (freshly prepared) – 200 gram
2. Khoya – 100 gram
3. Mango pulp – ½ cup
4. Sugar – 2 tbsp
5. Vanilla essence – ½ tsp

Preparation :

1. Prepare your chhena, if not using the one from shop, by curdling the milk, strain and hang to drain the excess water for at least 3-4 hours. [Note: You may refer to my previous of Kheertua for detailed chhena preparation.]
2. Grate the khoya and keep aside.
3. For preparation of mango syrup, take half cup water in a pan and add two teaspoon of sugar to it.
4. Boil the sugar-water mixture over a medium flame by stirring in continuously to make a sugar syrup.
5. When mixture turns slightly sticky or syrupy, bring down the flame to low.
6. Now add mango pulp to the sugar syrup and keep stirring the mixture.
7. Bring the mixture to boil by stirring in continuously.
8. Switch off the flame to  bring it down and let it cool down completely.
9. Take out the chhena in a dish or tray and knead it using your palm and fingers. [Note : Your chhena should be freshly made to prevent the dryness].
10. Add grated khoya and vanilla essence to the chhena and mix them well together using your palm and fingers so that no lumps or granules are left or you may also use a blender to make the mixture smooth. [Note: The mixture should be very smooth otherwise your shondesh may not be able to retain the liquid due to leakage.]
11. For preparing the shondesh, melt sugar in a pan with little water over a low flame.
12. Bring it to boil by stirring in continuously.
13. When the syrup turns thicker, add the chhena mix to it and mix them well together.
14. Keep stirring the mixture until it leaves the sides of your pan over a low flame. Do not overdo as it may turn the mixture dry.
15. Bring down from the flame on a dish and let it cool slightly till it is workable.
16. Knead it slightly using your palm.
17. Take small portions of the mixture and roll it into a ball, make a dent on the top gently using your finger and give the ball the shape of a pitcher or any shape of your choice. [Note: You may also use a mould to shape it easily.]
18. Pour the previously prepared mango syrup to fill the dent and gently put a disc made from the mixture as lid and seal the sides so that the liquid gets sealed inside. [Note: Do not shape the shondesh after filling in the syrup as it should be kept intact inside for enjoying enough of it.]
19. Your aambhora shondesh is now ready for relishing. [ Note : Consume fresh within 24 to 48 hours for enjoying to the fullest ”the fun of jolbhora”.]

References:

1. https://moha-mushkil.com/jolbhora-sandesh-and-the-history/#:~:text=He%20made%20a%20gigantic%20talsaNsh,this%20new%20sweet%20as%20Jolbhora.
2. https://www.getbengal.com/details/jalbhora-taalshash-the-sweet-made-to-dupe-a-son-in-law
3. https://www.slurrp.com/article/of-jalbharas-jamai-sasthi-amp-a-sweet-origin-story-1685003259253
4. https://kitchenofdebjani.com/2018/11/know-your-shondesh-history-of-bengali-sandesh/