Kalakand - Milk Cake

Kalakand (Ajmeri Kalakand or Milk cake) step by step instructions:

Kalakand which is also known as Milk cake is a very delicious sweet. It is a perfect sweet for any festive occasion.

When I was small I was particularly fantasized by the color shades of this sweet. Dark brown, then some shades of brown and cream color. The soft texture of it has always impressed me. I used to think that it would be very difficult to prepare this sweet. But when I made this sweet for the first time I proved myself wrong.
Well, there are many ways to prepare kalakand and I will be showing you the method which will 100% make the yummiest kalakand you have ever tasted.

The basic process involves in curdling the milk. And here I would like to tell you one thing. We generally use lemon juice, vinegar, or curd to curdle the milk. And I too have used lemon juice to curdle the milk. But my jiyaji, when he saw the video, recommended me to use “Alum” instead of lemon juice. He told me this is what the professionals use to make the milk cake. I am certainly going to try this method out.

Coming back to the procedure, once the milk is curdled, let it simmer and cook until it becomes thick and then add sugar and spices. Add some ghee and let it cook until it changes color. Yipeee, yummiest ever kalakand is ready!

Do try this recipe and share your feedback!

Let us start cooking!!!

Check out the video:

Ingredients:
Milk: 1 liter
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Water: 2-3 tbsp
Sugar: ¼ cup
Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tsp
Pistachio: 1 tbsp (chopped)
Cardamom powder: ½ tsp

Method:
1. In a heavy bottomed pan heat milk. Let it boil once and then lower the flame.

2. Let the milk boil until it is reduced to one-third.

3. Mix together lemon juice and water and add this mixture to the boiling milk. Do not stir for a few seconds.

4. Now stir the milk and let it thicken. Stir the milk occasionally so that it doesn’t sticks to the bottom. Keep the flame on low always.
5. Add sugar and stir.

6. After 12-15 minutes the milk would have completely reduced.

7. The color will start changing.
8. Add ghee at this point, mix well, and let cook for 1-2 minutes. The sweet will have different shades of brown.

9. Add chopped pistachio and cardamom powder. Mix well.

10. Switch off the flame.
11. Take a greased pan and pour the content into it.

12. Make the sweet uniform by pressing it with the help of a spoon.

13. Let it cool completely. Then cut into desired shapes and serve.

14. Delicious “Kalakand – Milk Cake” is ready!

Tips:
1. Always take full cream milk; the results are much better as compared to low fat or fat free milk.
2. To get dark brown color let the mixture cook for just 1-2 minutes more. It will give a beautiful shade.
3. The quantity of sugar can be increased as per one’s taste.
4. The shelf life of this sweet is about 5-6 days when refrigerated and 1-2 days at room temperature.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Atta Halwa

Atta Halwa step by step instructions:

I am very happy to share with you all that apart from writing step by step instructions of this recipe; I have also created a video for it.
This is my first video (I do have created pictorial videos but this one is the real video, aha) and like my first post on the blog which was a sweet, I wanted my first video to be a sweet too.

Check out my video:

Atta (whole wheat flour) halwa is the most basic sweet of Indian cuisine. Many things can be adjusted as per one’s choice in this halwa. Like some want more of ghee and less of sugar. Some want it to be prepared dark brown while others like it just light brown.

My variation of halwa involves making use of ghee (clarified butter) a little less. When I showed this video to my friends and family, many of them told me that “Arti don’t you think that the quantity of ghee is very less” and I told them that certainly it is. I have tried to make it a bit healthy! And, I wink!

I like my halwa to be dark brown with loads of almonds.

Do try this recipe and share your feedback!

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour (Gehun ka atta): ¼ cup
Clarified butter (Ghee

): 1 tbsp
Water: 1 ½ cups
Sugar: 1/4 cup
Cardamom: 2 (peeled and pounded)
Almond slivers: 2-3 tbsp

Method:
1. In a heavy bottomed pan heat ghee.

2. Add atta and mix well. Stir continuously for about 10-12 minutes or until fragrance starts coming out from the flour and it has turned dark brown.

3. Add boiling hot water to it. (Be careful while adding hot water as it splutters)

4. Mix well and make sure that no lumps remain.

5. Add sugar and mix well. Stir continuously until the sugar has melted completely.

6. Add cardamom powder and mix well.

7. Add almonds and mix well.

8. Let the halwa simmer for a few minutes.

9. Garnish with almond slivers and serve hot.

10. Yummy “Atta Halwa” is ready!

Tips:
1. As I mentioned earlier, the quantity of ghee can be increased. But remember in that case the quantity of water needs to be adjusted. It will be required less.
2. Be careful while adding hot water to the roasted flour as it splutters.
3. Almonds are optional.
4. If we use more ghee then the halwa naturally becomes lump free.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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Kache Kele, Paneer aur Sabudana ka Halwa

Kache Kele, Paneer aur Sabudana ka Halwa step by step instructions:
(Raw Banana, Cottage Cheese, and Sago seeds Sweet)

I have prepared this halwa for the first time in my life. It turned out to be very tasty. Cottage cheese and sago seeds give a perfect smoothness to the raw bananas and the overall sweet is mouthwatering.
This sweet can be had during fasts also.

Do try this simple recipe and share your feedback!

Let us start cooking!!!

Ingredients:
Kacha kela: 1 (boiled and grated)
Sabudana: ½ cup (soaked for 7-8 hours)
Paneer: ½ cup (mashed)
Elaichi: 2 (skin removed and seeds pounded)
Sugar: ½ cup
Water: ¼ cup

Method:

1. In a pan add water and sugar. Boil it until one thread consistency is achieved.

2. Now add raw banana and mix well.

3. Then add sabudana and mix well.

4. Now add paneer and mix well.

5. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Cook this mixture for 5-7 minutes.

6. Take out on a plate and garnish with almond slivers and raisins.

7. Serve hot.
8. Yummy “Kache kele, Paneer aur Sabudana ka halwa” is ready!

Tips:
1. If you want to set this sweet then make the sugar syrup a bit thicker.
2. Saffron can also be added for flavor.
3. Make sure the raw banana is boiled properly otherwise the halwa won’t taste nice.
4. Either mash or grate the cottage cheese. I personally prefer grating it.
5. Drain off all the water from the soaked sabudana seeds.

See you soon with a new recipe till then Happy Cooking!!!

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