Description
Monohara is a Bengali Sondesh originally from a small town Janai, Hoogly. Simple taste, light smell of Cardamom, a crunchy Sugar coated outer crust and loaded with Chana, Monohara is divine.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 500g Chana ( I have used locally available Chana)
- 500ml Milk (with cream)
- 250g Mawa/ Khoya
- 100g Sugar (to make the stuffing)
- 100g Sugar (for thick Syrup/ Sugar Paste)
- 1/4 Tsp. Green Cardamom Powder
- 2 Whole Green Cardamom
Instructions
- Take Chana* over a Cheesecloth and tie the ends of the cloth.
- Put some weight over the Chana to remove the water content for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, start boiling the Milk to reduce to thicken it.
- Cook on low flame for 20 minutes and stir in between.
- You will get around 4 Tbsp. of thickened Malai after the cooking is done.
- Grate the Mawa.
- Now take Chana, grated Mawa, and Malai in a bowl and add Cardamom Powder and mix using your hand to make a lump-free paste.
- Heat a pan on medium flame and pour the paste along with the Sugar and start cooking.
- Stir continuously for 5-6 minutes and cook on low flame until the Sondesh leaves the edges of the pan.
- Switch the flame off and take out the Sondesh in a bowl.
- Once the mixture cooled down completely make 2" size balls* using your hands.
- Now take the Sugar kept for thick Syrup in a pan and add 5 Tbsp. of water just to cover the sugar.
- Add 2 Green Cardamoms.
- Keep melting the sugar on a high flame.
- Stir continuously using a spatula; this will help crystal formation.
- Keep boiling till the syrup thickens; a consistency of 3 strings is ideal.
- Take the Syrup out in a bowl and leave it for 5 minutes to cool down a bit.
- Cover the Sondesh with Sugar syrup; use a spoon for this step.
- Place Manohara on a plate and wait till the sugar thickens and forms a crunchy layer over the Sondesh.
- Serve Monohara once the Sondesh is set completely.
- Monohara can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in an air-tight container.
Notes
- I am available with good quality Chana in Kolkata and hence used that. In case you are not available with the same, check this for the recipe of Chana.
- The Monohara I had, used to be without any special decoration and were simple ball-like and I keep that size and have not opted for any decoration.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Bengali
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 50g
- Calories: 119
- Sugar: 16.2g
- Sodium: 183mg
- Fat: 2.3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.4g
- Carbohydrates: 17.2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 7.9g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
