Khatta Meetha Sandesh cake, a valentine day special. I got inspired by master-chef (TV program) and wanted to try out this beautiful and unique dish for valentine day. This recipe takes lots of effort but it’s worth it when you’re making this dish for your loved one. This cake made up of four layer with each layer having different elements. This is certainly a non conventional dish so go ahead and try yourselves and enjoy!!
Ingredients
For Tomato Jam
- 1 cup Tomato puree
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- Pinch of cinnamon powder
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Green cardamom powder
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper powder
For sandesh
- 6 cup Full Fat Milk
- 1 lemon juice
- 1 cup Powder sugar
- 1/2 tsp Green cardamom powder
- Few drops of rose essence
For Short Crust
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Ghee or unsalted butter
- Pinch of carom seeds
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Powder sugar
For Strawberry Cooling
- 5 Strawberry puree
- 1/4 cup Sugar
For Dry Fruit Chikki
- 1/2 cup almond pista and caswnuts chopped very thinly
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Water
- 2 drops lemon juice
Instructions
For tomato jam
- Ingredients for the khatta meetha sandesh cake. Cut strawberries in a small pieces.
- To make tomato jam: in a sauce pan, add tomato puree and sugar, pinch of cinnamon powder, green cardamon powder, salt and black pepper powder.
- Mix together and cook at medium heat until it gets a thick consistency (for about 6 to 7 minutes). Stir it continuously. Do not overcook. Once its done, transfer it into a bowl and keep it in the fridge.
For Sandesh
- To make paneer for Sandesh, take 6 cups of milk in a deep pan. Let it boil at medium heat. Keep lemon juice mixed with 2 tbsp water ready. Once it comes to boil add lemon juice into it. Stir slowly, turn off the heat. After few sec when it starts curdling, add some ice cubes into it.
- After 30 sec, strain the paneer into a muslin cloth. Squeeze the water from the paneer by pressing it using your fingers. Wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. Keep it in a fridge for 1/2 an hour.
- Remove the paneer from muslin cloth and place it on a clean wooden surface. Knead the paneer dough for 5-6 minutes until it gets nice creamy texture.
- Add cardamon powder, rose essence and sugar. Mix all of them well and knead again for about 1 minute.
- Heat non-stick pan at medium heat. Add kneaded paneer dough in the hot pan. Cook it till the raw flavor goes away for about 2 mins and dough gets nice and thick but not dry. Do not overcook. Once it done, turn off the heat and transfer the paneer dough into a plate.
- When the dough gets lukewarm, mix the dough with your hand and make two paneer balls. Place the wax paper on the wooden surface, place the one paneer ball and roll it very lightly using a rolling pin. Cut it with heart shape cookie cutter. Make rest of the heart shape sandesh following the same process, cover it and keep it a side.
For Short Crust
- Take all purpose flour, add salt, sugar, ghee or butter and pinch of carom seeds in a mixing bowl.
- Mix all ingredients together, sprinkle some cold water and knead the dough very lightly. Make a dough, cover it and keep it aside for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degree F. Make a medium size round dough balls, place it on the wax paper, roll it very lightly and make it 1/2 inche thick round circle. Cut it with heart shape cookie cutter.
- Make rest of the short crust following the same procedure. Line the baking try with aluminium foil. Place the heart shape short crusts on tray.
- Put the tray in the preheated oven and bake it for 25 minutes or till slightly golden color. Once it is done, remove it from the oven. Let it cool down.
For Strawberry Cooling
- To make strawberry cooling, grind the strawberry and make a puree. Add strawberry puree and sugar in a pan.
- Cook it for 5-6 minutes at medium heat until puree gets thick consistency. Once it is done, turn off the heat. Let it cool down.
For Dry Fruit Chikki
- Chopped the almond, pista and cashew nuts very fine.
- Boil sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a sauce pan. Add 2 drops of lemon juice into syrup. Boil the syrup at medium heat till syrup gets slightly golden color. Add chopped dry fruits into the syrup. Turn off the heat.
- Immediately pour the syrup in the heart shape cookie cutter placed on the greased plate. Let it cool. Remove the cookie cutter from chikki. Heart shape chikki is ready. Keep it aside.
For Plating
- For plating, take one serving plate, spread some strawberry cooling in center of the plate using brush. Put heart shape short crust, apply some tomato jam on crust evenly.
- Place the heart shape sandesh on the jam, place cut strawberries pieces on top of that. Place the heart shape dry fruit chikki on top. Put one strawberry on top.
- Apply some strawberry cooling on the side and serve. Khatta meetha sandesh cake is ready to be served.
- Enjoy it as a dessert.
Recipe Notes
1. Prepare all the layers in advance and make the final plating just before serving.
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How pretty is this dessert.. and well plated too:))
Thank you!