Module 8. Chhana based sweets
Lesson 19
SANDESH
–VARIETIES-METHOD OF PREPARATION-QUALITY-PACKAGING AND SHELF LIFE
19.1 Introduction
Sandesh is popular chhana based sweet delicacy of eastern parts of India mainly West Bengal. Sandesh is preferably prepared from cow milk chhana because it yields soft body and smooth texture with fine and uniform grains. Sandesh prepared from buffalo milk exhibited hard body and coarse texture. Chhana obtained with citric acid is usually preferred for the manufacture of sandesh. “kachagolla”(sweetened chhana)with high moisture is a soft grade product formed into various shapes and sizes using appropriate moulds. Various sweeteners are used like sugarcane jaggery, Date jaggery and palm jiggery (Nolen Gur) in addition to cane sugar. It is also flavoured with essences of jackfruit, orange, rose etc. Sandesh has a firm body and smooth texture. It is a rich source of milk proteins, fat, sucrose and fat soluble vitamins apart from rich aroma.
19.2 Varieties of Sandesh
There are three varieties of sandesh, namely;
19.2.1 Raw grade (kachagolla)
Kachagolla as the name depicts has chhana like flavour, moist appearance, soft body and coarse grainy texture.
19.2.2 Soft grade (Naram – pak)
It is the most common variety, possessing soft body and smooth texture with fine grains uniformly distributed and relatively lower amount of sugar and high moisture in it.
19.2.3 Hard grade (kara-pak)
It has a firm body, dry appearance and low moisture content.
19.3 Method of preparation of Naram-pak sandesh
Chaana is the base material for preparation of sandesh. Chhana is then kneaded or ground using a mechanical grinder to make smooth paste of chhana. About 30 to 45% of sugar is added into one portion of chhana and the mixture heated upto 75°C with continuous stirring and scrapping results in pat formation in the product. The second part of chhana is added at this stage. Addition of flavour and colour is optional and added according to local preference. This pat will be moulded to different shapes. Detailed manufacturing process of sandesh preparation is shown in flow diagram 19.1.
Fig. 19.1 Flow diagram for preparation of Sandesh
19.4. Chemical Composition of Sandesh
|
Constituent |
Sandesh(soft grade) prepared from cow milk chhana |
Sandesh prepared from buffalo milk chhana |
|
Moisture(%) |
25.5 |
27.14 |
|
Fat(%) |
19.89 |
18.42 |
|
Protein(%) |
18.48 |
18.71 |
|
Ash(%) |
1.66 |
1.90 |
|
Sugar(%) |
34.47 |
33.83 |
(Source: Sen & Rajorhia 1991)
19.4.1 Composition of soft grade sandesh and hard grade sandesh procured from Kolkata market
|
Constituent |
Soft grade sandesh |
Hard grade sandesh |
|
Moisture(%) |
21.23-19.15 |
12.27-15.23 |
|
Fat(%) |
16.19-17.77 |
16.26-18.11 |
|
Protein(%) |
16.21-18.62 |
16.22-19.83 |
|
Ash(%) |
1.22-1.81 |
1.62-1.66 |
|
Sugar(%) |
37.25-38.99 |
42.31-47.68 |
(Source: Chakrabarti et al., 2001)
19.5 Texture Description of Sandesh
Soft grade sandesh has charecteestic soft cohesive body and smooth texture with small size grains, whereas hard grade sandesh has a firm crumbly, coarse, gritty and chewy texture with big grains. It is reported that buffalo milk sandesh is slightly less cohesive, springy, gummy and chewy than cow milk sandesh.
19.6 Factors Controlling the Quality of Sandesh
19.6.1 Fat content in milk
Fat content in milk has prominent role in production of good quality of sandesh. It is reported that soft grade sandesh, prepared from cow milk with 4% fat is most suitable due to rich appearance, soft body, smooth texture and pleasant flavor. Sandesh made from cow milk with 2% fat exhibited dry appearance and coarse texture, therefore optimum fat level has to be maintained in milk to make best quality sandesh.
19.6.2 Moisture content in sandesh
Moisture content and sugar level varies with the grade of sandesh, hard grade sandesh has low mioisture content and higher sugar level and vice versa with soft grade sandesh. It is reported that 30% sugar is optimum for the good quality sandesh. Moisture content and duration of heating facilitates the dissolution rate of sugar. Addition of ground sugar helps in reducing the heating time thus saves the heating energy.
19.7 Packaging and Shelf Life of Sandesh
Paperboard cartons, polystyrene containers, high-density polyethylene bags, nylon-6 pouches and tin cans are commonly used for packaging of sandesh. A storage study conducted by Sen, D. C. and Rajorhia, G. S. revealed that maximum chemical, microbiological and organoleptic deterioration takesplcace in sandesh samples packaged in the folding paperboard cartons. At 30±1°C with 70% RH the product can be stored up to 5 days only whereas at 7±1°C with 90% RH sandesh remained acceptable for up to 30 days in folding paperboard cartons and 45 days in tin cans. Acceptability of sandesh decreased during storage, mainly due to flavour deterioration.
References
Chakrabarti, S.R., Dutta, S.K., Gangopadhyay, D., Majumdar, S., Gangopadyay, S.K., Paul, S.C., Maiti, P, Sarkar, S.P. and Sarkar, S.P.(2001), Rheological characterization of sandesh: An instrumental study. Beverage & Food World, 28: 20-23, Sen, D.C and Rajorhia, G.S.(1991) Production of narampak sandesh from buffalo milk. J. Food Sci. Technol., 28: 359-364.