Vegan Sandesh: A Dairy-Free Delight For Guru Purnima

Sandesh is a delightful sweet made out of curdled milk which is then flavored with aromatic ingredients and shaped using traditional molds. At its core, sandesh is only a ball of chenna that is drained out of all the whey and flavored with traditional spices and sweetener to enhance the aroma. Without the chenna or milk curds, sandesh cannot come into the picture. Which is why it is hard to imagine making sandesh without full-fat cow milk. While sandesh is delightfully irresistible and extremely comforting, it still might be a guilty pleasure for those who want to stick to a vegan diet. You cannot resist the urge to eat when you see sandesh, and most of the time vegans often hold themselves back from enjoying the sensory pleasures of sandesh. Therefore, to turn this sandesh bengali sweet into a vegan delight, this recipe will teach you how you can make creamy and delightful sandesh without dairy.

This recipe uses almond milk or soy milk as the vegan alternative for milk. Now you might be wondering how plant-based milk curdles when it doesn’t have the casein proteins found in dairy? Unlike dairy, plant-based milks don’t contain casein but they do have plant proteins. When you use high-protein plant based milk like almond or soy, it still curdles when lemon juice or vinegar is added to it. The proteins in the milk denature and coagulate just like the dairy proteins, though it is usually to a lesser extent but it turns out creamy and wholesome like dairy which makes it a perfect substitute to make vegan sandesh. Keep in mind that curdling only works with high-protein plant based milks like soy, almond, or pea milk and it doesn’t work with watery milk like coconut or rice milk.

With the use of almond milk or soy milk, you can create a perfect sandesh recipe that is vegan and guilt-free. When the recipe is vegan, it becomes a perfect treat for auspicious occasions like Guru Purnima. Check out the recipe below and make this treat at home for festive joy.

Recipe for Vegan Sandesh: An Innovative Twist

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk or soy milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup powdered jaggery or maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp rose water
• A few strands of saffron
• Crushed pistachios or almonds
• Rose petals
• A sprinkle of cardamom or edible silver leaf

Instructions:

Step 1: Curdle the Milk

Heat up almond milk in a pan until it is just warm and not boiling. Now add lemon juice to it slowly while stirring. The milk will start to curdle. Once all the curds are separated from the whey, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes until the curdling stops.

Step 2: Strain the curds

Place a muslin cloth in a large bowl. Once the curds have separated from the whey, pour the mixture out into the muslin cloth. Rinse the curd in cold water to remove the remaining whey and lemony flavor. Close the muslin cloth with curd inside and squeeze out the excess water. Hang the cloth and let the remaining whey drip out for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 3: Turn it to a dough

Put the soft and drained curds into a bowl or a blender. Add jaggery or maple syrup, cardamom powder, rose water, and a few saffron strands to it. Blend it or mash it until it's smooth and slightly creamy. Take it out in a bowl and knead it to a soft dough.

Step 4: Shape the Sandesh

Take a small piece of that chenna dough and roll it into a small flat disc. You can also use a traditional sandesh mold to shape it. Garnish the sandesh with chopped nuts, rose petals, and silver foil on top to enhance the appearance of sandesh.

Step 5: Chill and Serve

Finally, refrigerate the sandesh balls for about an hour before serving. Refrigeration keeps sandesh fresh and chilled, and also allows it to hold up the shape better. When kept at room temperature, the shape of the soft chenna balls might get deformed. Serve sandesh fresh as a prasad or a dessert for the Guru Purnima feast.

Conclusion:

With that said, you can prepare sandesh in a guilt-free way just by switching dairy with plan-based options. Celebrate Guru Purnima in full swing with sandesh bengali dessert and enjoy a creamy and delightful treat with your friends, family, and loved ones.