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Home  » Get Ahead » Food » Recipe: Shumaila Chauhan's Kalakand

Recipe: Shumaila Chauhan's Kalakand

By SHUMAILA CHAUHAN
May 19, 2023 16:40 IST
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Diwali is a few months away. But if you have been good, stuck to your exercise routine, why should you stop yourself from a between-the-fests kind of treat, if Indian sweets is your indulgence?

Try this homemade Kalakand by Chef Shumaila Chauhan that's rich, yum and full of alpha-linolenic acid-rich walnuts.

Chef Shumaila is always as busy as a bee in her kitchen, inventing recipes, testing them and photographing the finished product. She is an enthusiastic baker too.

Kalakand

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups walnuts, chopped
  • 1 litre full-cream milk
  • 3-4 tsp limboo or lemon juice
  • 4-5 green elaichi or cardamom, powdered
  • 200 gm (½ a can) condensed milk
  • ¼ tsp rose water
  • Chopped walnuts and dried rose petals, to garnish
  • 4-inch high, 6 inch by 6 inch square pan, greased
  • Parchment paper

Method

  • Roast the walnuts in a frying pan or on a tawa over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.
    Cool and coarsely chop.
    Keep aside.
  • Line a strainer with muslin cloth over a wide bowl and keep aside.
  • In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the milk and heat over medium high heat, stirring often.
    Let the milk come to a boil and then take off heat.
    Add 3 tsp of the lemon juice and stir.
    If required, add another tsp juice till the milk curdles completely and the whey separates.
    Pour the curdled milk into the muslin cloth-lined channi or strainer.
    In running water, wash the chenna (curdled milk) to get rid of the lemon flavor.
    Squeeze out a little of the excess water from the curds -- be careful not to over squeeze else the final kalakand will be too dry.
    Tie the edges of the muslin cloth and let it hang over a bowl to drain off more whey for 10-15 minutes.
  • In a kadhai or frying pan, add the condensed milk and chenna.
    Mix and cook over low heat, stirring often.
    Cook for 10-12 minutes, till mixture thickens a bit and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
    Do not dry out completely.
    Add the cardamom powder, rose water, roasted walnuts.
  • Line the greased pan with with parchment paper.
    Spread the mixture into the pan -- the kalakand needs to be thick.
    Sprinkle the walnuts and dried rose petals for garnish on top.
    Let set for a few hours, before cutting and serving.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Shumaila Chauhan

Shumaila Chauhan is the creator of the food blog Novice Housewife.

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