Traditional Durga Puja Sweets (mishti) are mostly milk and coconut-based, including Sandesh, Rasgulla, Payesh, and Narkel Naru. Key recipes involve curdling milk for chenna (cottage cheese), slow-cooking milk for creamy textures, or using jaggery/sugar with grated coconut, often requiring cardamon for aroma.

Key Traditional Durga Puja Sweets Recipes:

• Narkel Naru (Coconut Balls): Mix 1 cup grated coconut with 3/4 cup sugar or jaggery. Cook on low heat until sticky. Add cardamom powder, cool slightly, and shape into balls.

• Nolen Gurer Sandesh: Knead 200g chenna (fresh paneer) with 50g nolen gur (date palm jaggery) or sugar. Cook on low heat until it leaves the pan. Shape using traditional moulds.

• Chaler Payesh (Rice Kheer): Boil 1 liter milk until reduced to 750ml. Add 1/4 cup soaked Gobindobhog rice. Cook until rice is soft. Add 1/2 cup sugar/jaggery, cashews, raisins, and cardamom. Simmer to thicken.

• Patishapta (Stuffed Crepes): Prepare a batter of refined flour, rice flour, and milk. Make a stuffing of coconut and jaggery. Spread batter on a pan, add stuffing, and roll.

• Malpua: Make a thick batter of flour, khoya, and milk. Fry small pancakes and soak in sugar syrup.

• Chanar Payesh: Similar to Chaler Payesh, but using small, soft sandesh balls made from chenna cooked in thickened milk.

For a quick option, try the 2-ingredient Baked Rasgulla by baking store-bought rasgullas with condensed milk and cream.