The shondesh – cottage cheese fudge – was a delightful invention inasmuch as having one makes you crave for more. You need not even have an imposing sweet tooth to be a shondesh lover, for the shondesh – unlike the syrup-dunked roshogolla, for instance – is only subtly sweet. It does not overwhelm the senses, yet with its delicate exuberance – muted, muted, all the way – enthralls the connoisseur.

To the vistor, the breathtaking variety of Bengal's cottage cheese fudge is almost insupposable. Bipradas Mukhopadhya's Mistannapak alone lists 25 varieties! But that book was published way back in 1904; since then the Bengali 'moira' (confectioner) has added many, many more to his already enviable repertoire.

From the simple Kanchagolla to the intriguing Jolbhora, from the mildly-scented Aam (mango) shondesh to the deliriously fragrant Kanthal (jackfruit) shondesh, from Nolen-gurer (date-palm jaggery) shondesh to the aptly-named Abar Khabo (literally, will eat again!), the cottage cheese fudge rules the roost in almost every mishtir dokan (sweet shop) in Bengal.

And, to add to that staggering variety is an indubitable inventive streak in sweet-makers (both commercial as well as DIY-ers) contributing to the ever-burgeoning storehouse of the Bengali shondesh. The internet – as even the most cursory of searches is sure enough to reveal – is rife with recipes. The steamed/bhapa shondesh – alternatively known as ice cream shondesh is a popular variety and a treat to those fond of subtle flavors. It is also wonderfully adaptable to a range of flavors – rose, vanilla, saffron, orange – so, feel free to take your pick. But remember to keep the notes muted, as too much of essence would mar the delicate flavor of the cottage cheese

Here's a (tried-&-tested) recipe of a shondesh I dearly love – Damask Cottage Cheese Fudge or Golap Shondesh in Bengali:

You'll need the following ingredients:

1. 500 gms fresh cottage cheese

2. Finely powdered white sugar to taste

3. Rose essence (a few drops only). You can substitute the rose essence with rose water (around 2-3 tsp) like I did for a milder, more natural flavor.

4. About 2 tsp extract of beetroot (grate the beetroot with the help of a vegetable grater and press through a sieve to extract the juice) for the rose pink color. See Notes below.

5. Crushed rose petals (both dry and fresh); this is optional

6. 1 tbsp pistachio (slivered)

7. Silver leaf/ varq for decoration

8. A stainless steel box for steaming the shondesh

9. Butter/ vegetable oil for greasing

Knead the cottage cheese (after ridding it of any excess water) very well with the heel of your palm. Now add sugar (the whiter, the better) to taste, rose essence/ rose water and the beetroot extract to the cottage cheese. Knead well until everything is well blended and the resultant soft, rose-pink dough feels smooth. Roll a small portion into a ball to test. If there's no crack on it, you're good to go.

Next, prepare your stainless steel box by greasing the bottom and the sides (place a square of greased parchment paper at the bottom if you please). Put the cottage cheese dough into in and flatten with a wooden/rubber spatula. Cover tightly and steam inside a pressure cooker (remove the whistle) with a little water so that the box of cottage cheese is only half submerged in the water (put a weight on the tightly-lidded box to secure it in place). Steam for a total of 13 minutes – the first 3 minutes over a high flame and the remaining 10 on low.

Cool the box to room temperature after taking it out from the pressure cooker. Refrigerate overnight. When you're ready to serve, run a knife along the sides of your steamed shondesh to loosen it and then flip it over on a plate. Cut into squares (500 gms cottage cheese makes about 16-18 shondesh) diamonds or triangles; garnish with silver leaf, a generous sprinkling of pistachios and crushed rose petals.

Note: As a thumb rule, I avoid using artificial color to the food I prepare and hence opted for the beetroot extract which is a natural coloring agent. The odor of the beetroot extract is negligible, so it does not interfere with the base note (rose) used in this recipe.