Kheerer Sandesh

Kheerer Sandesh

The full moon that appears right after Durga Puja is the day when Bengali mothers celebrate Kojagori Lokkhi Pujo or Kojagari Lakshmi Puja. Kojagari is derived from the Bengali words Ke Jago Re meaning 'who is awake' and it is believed that on the day of Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, Goddess Lakshmi takes around on the Earth's orbit and relieves her devotees from their woes.

I remember my mother used to wake up early on this day to gather shiuli phool (jasmine), dubbo (grass twigs), aam pawllob (mango leaves), lotus, paddy (unmilled rice) and paddy twigs. She used to fast till evening and cook a variety of dishes for all of us. The preparation for pujo used to start around afternoon. I used to assist my mother throughout. Now, I do it for my family along with my mother-in-law.

While the moong daal khichuri and ghyat or labra (mix of seven vegetables) is a must, I am going to talk here about the Kheerer Sandesh.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 tin of condensed milk or milkmaid

1 coconut grated

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon elaichi powder

Moulds

How to cook

Take a large wok and place it on the gas. Next add all the ingredients and keep stirring all the time or else it may get stuck at the bottom. Keep checking the consistency and once it becomes sticky, turn off the gas and keep it to cool down and get into a consistency required for making laddus. Now take small portions of the mixture and place it in the mould and keep it for about 5 mins for it to settle down. Now take out the sandesh from the mould and keep it under the fan to further setting.

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