A festive, milk-based dessert that is easy to make at home. I used fresh beetroot juice to color the sandesh, but you could use food color or omit it completely. They will still taste as delicious. This dessert is not overly sweet, so you can increase the quantity of the sweetener to taste.

Recipe

Rose Sandesh

(Makes 8-10 pieces)

Ingredients

4 cups full fat milk (this recipe will not work with reduced fat/toned milk)
2 tbsp fresh beetroot juice or a few drops pink food color (optional)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice or vinegar diluted with 3 tbsp water
3 tbsp erythritol or 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
a few drops pure rose extract
A few chopped pistachios or cashews to decorate

Method

In a heavy based pan, bring the milk to a boil. Once it boils, remove from heat and allow the milk to cool for about 5 minutes.

Add in the beetroot juice and stir well. Add the diluted lime juice, a tablespoon at a time, until the milk starts to split. Once the milk curdles, stop adding the lime juice. Allow the whey to separate, then strain the fresh cottage cheese into a cheesecloth placed over a sieve.

Wash the cottage cheese under running water to get rid of any traces of lime. Wrapping it in the cheesecloth, squeeze out as much water as you can.

Transfer the cottage cheese onto a plate and use the palms of your hands to knead it for 5-6 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

Add the sweetener, cornflour, ground cardamom and rose extract. Mix well.

Transfer the sandesh mixture to a nonstick pan and cook over very low heat for 2-3 minutes to remove any remaining traces of liquid.

Transfer the the mixture back to the plate. Once it is cool to the touch, knead it again for 5 minutes (if the mixture has become grainy, blitz it in a blender). Refrigerate the sandesh mixture for half an hour or until it is firm enough to shape into balls.

Divide the sandesh mixture into 8-10 equal portions and roll into balls. Flatten slightly and decorate with the chopped pistachios or cashews (I skipped the nuts and used a fondant stamp to decorate them). Serve immediately or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.