Orange & Pear stuffed kalakand

 The festival of Diwali which is also known as the festival of lights, is celebrated every year. Diwali highlights the victory of good over evil. Diwali is one of the biggest festivals in India. There are several legends behind the festival and it is celebrated in different ways in different parts of the country. As part of the celebrations, people clean and decorate their homes and offices before Diwali night and are seen dressed up in new attires. Lighting of diyas or lamps is one the major attractions of this festival during which devotees conduct  Puja to honour the goddess of wealth and prosperity -- Lakshmi.

I have a huge sweet tooth and the saying having a sweet in once in a blue moon is not applicable to a person like me. I am so fond of sweets and loves making and eating it. I just look for opportunity to cook and serve the sweets. What I love about sweets is the memories associated with it …..Festivals, Guests and celebration. India is a country where you come across celebration throughout the year….Coming from a family which believes in community feeding, my mom used to make whatever she does in huge quantities and we used to distribute it within our neighbors and in return we would be showered with return sweets as gifts. This way I have been introduced to various kinds of sweets from childhood. Being the youngest in the family my role was mostly restricted to helping in the kitchen and that’s the place where I learnt the basics.Of all the cherished memories of my childhood,  Eating Kalakand with pistachios and almonds  always tops the list.

India is a diverse nation and its diversity is reflected in its foods which every state has to offer. Every Indian state is known for its own set of traditional sweets . But Kalakand is one such sweets which is relished by one and all. This is one of the most scrumptious sweet in North and East India where milky white Kalakand are hugely popular but in Western India, its fried version or the Ajmeri Kalakand is more in demand, where it is also known as milk cake. The best part of Ajmeri kalakand is that it is fried with lots of fresh figs or Anjeer which imparts a grainy texture to it and enhance the flavour too. Kalakand is an exquisite milk-based sweet preparation with Concentrated milk called Khoya or Mawa and fresh paneer called Chena which are mixed and simmered together with sugar to a luxurious thick and firm sweet which are then cooled and cut into squares and garnished with pistachios.

 

Preparation Time 1 hour

Serves: 20 to 25 Kalakand

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients for Kalakand :

•  1 can Milkmaid full cream sweetened condensed milk ( 400gms)
• Crumbled paneer or Chena made out of 1 and half litre of full fat milk
• generous pinch of cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp chopped Pistachios for garnishing
• ½ to 2 tbsp. Lemon juice

Ingredients for Pear and Orange stuffing:

•  2 nos of Pear
• 750 ml fresh orange juice
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 Star anise

let's Learn how to 

• Bring 1 and half litre full fat milk to boil. Add lemon juice and gently stir the milk.Immediately you can see the entire milk begins to curdle, switch off the flame. At this stage if your milk doesn't curdle, pour some more lemon juice immediately to curdle the milk. Do not cook further as it may harden the paneer. Add a bowl of ice cubes immediately to stop it from further cooking.
•  Pour it in a thin cheese cloth. Rinse it under running water to remove the smell of the lemon juice. Make a knot to the cheese cloth, squeeze any excess water and hang it for 30 mins to remove excess whey. We need completely drained paneer. Crumble it and keep aside.

•  Peel the pears and chop it into small pieces. In a pan cook the chopped pears along with some fresh orange juice and cinnamon and star anise . Cook this till the mixture thickens and reduce to its 1/3 quantity. Take out the Star anise and the cinnamon from it.  At this point add ½ cup of condensed milk to bind it all together. Switch off the gas and let it cool. Once cool, Grind it to a fine paste in the blender and keep it aside.

•  To make Kalakand, first grease a plate with ghee or you can use parchment paper or aluminum foil too. Keep it aside.Chop the pistachios and keep aside.

•  Pour condensed milk to a heavy bottom pan and warm up on a low flame. Add paneer to it along with the cardamom powder to the pan. Stir and mix well. Cook on a low fire, stir constantly to prevent burning. After a short while, it becomes a thick mass and will begin to leave the sides of the pan. Switch off the Gas.

•  Divide the kalakand mixture into two equal parts. Transfer one part of the  kalakand to the foil or greased plate. Spread it to half inch thickness. Smooth the top evenly.

•  Now spread the pear and orange pulp evenly over it. Repeat the second part of kalakand mixture over it and sprinkle pistachios on top.Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and then cut into squares.
•  Enjoy this pear and orange stuffed Kalakand on this Diwali with your family and friends.

HAPPY DIWALI..........................................

“This recipe is been created for The Urban Spice and KitchenAid India Diwali Contest” using Khoya/Mawa as an ingredient (www.theurbanspice.com).

Paan Ki Ladoo- Betel Leaves & Coconut Fudge

Betel leaves has got many medicinal properties and is used for last 2000 years in south east Asian countries. They helps in curing respiratory disorders like bad breath and cough, they also help during headaches and constipation and also have diuretic properties. Betal leaves are known for their aromatic stimulant properties also.Paan or betel leaves are usually served at the end of an Indian meal and ceremonies such as weddings, receptions etc. Paan can be bought in nearly every street corner in India. They are believed to help in digestion of curried foods and also act as mouth fresheners.While Paan has  symbolic value at ceremonies and cultural events , on a day to day basis it is used as a palate cleanser and mouth freshener  after a meal and offered to guests and visitors as a sign of hospitality.

Paan or Betel is such a common and much adored after dinner mouth freshener and digestive in India.. Paan have its unique place in our culture. One can see small paan stalls selling  basic paan ,Kolkatta paan, Banarasi Paan etc…There are all sorts of special paan available these days, gold, silver, chocolate and some wedding pans that can make a hole in your pocket. 

There are different varieties of paan which is popular across India and some of them are :Maghai paan, Saada Paan, Meetha Paan, Banarasi paan, Silver Paan, Gold Paan, Rasmalai Paan, Chocolate paan, Bangla Paan, Tanbaku Paan, Misti Paan, Jagannath Paan, Kalkatti Paan.

 

 One of the most joyful and beautiful festivals to be celebrated in  India is Diwali, the festival of lights.  The very word Diwali conjures up the image of winking lights and flickering diyas. Not to forget the gorgeous array of sparkling colors emitted by the firecrackers that seems to awaken the night sky. This is a time when we share happiness, joy with our friends and relatives. In India , any festival is associated with celebration and food which goes hand in hand. Food is an integral part of celebration of Diwali which symbolizes victory of good over evil. During this coming Diwali, we the Bloggers at Foodie Monday Bloghop decided to bring forward traditional Diwali sweets made in homes across India. 

Coconut Ladoos  are one of the sweets that can very easily be made for any festival. These can be made using fresh coconut or desiccated coconut.I have given This simple coconut ladoo which can be made instantly with two ingredients only i,e, condensed milk and desiccated coconut has been given a wonderful twist with the addition of Paan in it. This can be made instantly and can be relished any time of the year.

Ingredients;

• 400gms Condensed Milk
• 250gms of dessicated coconut plus 1 cup for roliing
• a pinch of green cardamom powder
• paan Leaves- 4to 5nos
• a pinch of green food color
• 2tbsp of gulkand*( Follow below for instructions)
• 1tsp ghee for greasing
•  2tbsp of mixed dry fruits such as cashew, walnut, pistachios, almonds finely chopped

Note:

 *In a Pan, add the 1 cup of rose petals, ½ cup sugar and 2 tbsp of water and stir continuously till sugar dissolves and the rose petals are cooks perfectly. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Let it cool and keep it aside. Your Gulkand is ready to be used. You can also use the store bought Gulkand in place of this also.

  Let's Learn how to make Paan ki Ladoo:

• In a pan, add the Gulkand and the dryfruits and cook on slow flame till it binds together. Switch off the gas and keep it aside to cool.
• Roll the paan leaves together and finely chop them.
• Pour the condensed milk in heavy bottom pan. Add desiccated coconut to it and mix. Cook the condensed milk and coconut mixture in the heavy bottom pan, on medium low flame. Stir the mixture continuously to avoid burning. Add the chopped paan leaves and a pinch of green food color and cardamom powder to it.  
• Within 2 to 3 minutes, the mixture will start leaving the sides and come together as dough.Switch off the gas and let rest for 3-4 minutes.

• Grease your palms with ghee. Pinch a small portion of the mixture and make a depression with your thumb on  it and place a bit of Gulkand and dryfruits mixture inside and roll  between your hands into balls like ladoos.
• Roll them in desiccated  coconut and keep aside.
• Serve this easy and quick Paan ki Ladoo on the occasion of #Diwali2015 with pride.

  

Apricot Yogurt parfait

Parfaits are layers of yogurt or cream or ice cream, granola, fruits and dry fruits drizzled with or without a sweetener. Parfait is a single serve breakfast or dessert that consists of layers of cream or yoghurt, fruit and occasionally other variations such as nuts or muesli.A French parfait is typically frozen custard, but in America the dessert is most known for the tall glass that it comes in while the ingredients can vary widely. Ice cream is common favourite in a parfait, but you can also use sorbet, sherbet, yogurt, and myriad other ingredients for a sophisticated dessert.

It takes almost no effort in layering yogurts with seasonal fruits, creating a treat that looks as appealing as it tastes. It’s a real pleaser, as welcome for breakfast as well as desserts, and a good way to get kids to eat more fruit.Sweet, golden-orange apricots with full of fragrance and are rich source of dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Dried apricots have an intense sweet-sour flavour and are high in fibre. They make an excellent substitute for fresh apricots out of season.

 INGREDIENTS

•   800gms plain yoghurt
•  1 cup powdered sugar
•  a pinch of nutmeg powder
•  250gms Sundried Apricot
•  1 cup warm milk
• 10 to 12 dry roasted Cashew nuts
•  Toasted walnuts for serving

Lets Learn how to do parfait:

• Transfer the yoghurt to a fine cloth and hung for minimum 3 to 4 hours till all the water from it flows away preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
•  Soak the apricots in warm milk and keep aside.
•  Toast the cashew nuts and grind along with the sugar to a fine powder form.
• Puree the apricots and pass through a sieve to have a smooth puree.
• Now take the hung curd and the powdered sugar and cashew nuts mix in a blender along with the nutmeg powder and blend till it smooth and creamy.
• Pour this mixture into small glass up to half of the glass.
• Pour in the Apricot puree . Refrigerate, uncovered, till the time of service.
•   Serve  topped with chopped apricots and toasted walnuts.

Salty Spinach Crackers (Palak Mathri)- A twist to the traditional Diwali Snack

India is known as the land of festivals with a large number of religious festivities and celebration each having its own importance and meaning in our day to day lives. Diwali is a special time in the life of many Indians. Diwali is almost associated with vibrant clothes, colors, lights, firecrackers lighting up the sky and the variety of sweets and snacks. The household looks decorated with beautiful pattern of Rangoli wit use of vibrant colours.

The most quintessential part of any festival in India is the Food. During Diwali many types of savoury and sweet dishes are prepared in many households. We at #Foodie Monday Blog Hop event Team decided to try the savoury snacks prepared in households. The theme for this event has been suggested by my talented friend Rupal Patel, who lives in Texas with her family and blogs some amazing recipes in her Blog www.goodfoodgoodmoodbyrupal.blogspot.inwhere you can have access to some of the most amazing  traditional and fusion cooking  with style and  taste.

Mathri is one of the favorite Indian tea-time snacks. It’s a crumbly, salty and savory Indian biscuit that’s perfect for serving alongside a hot cup of chai. Typically, mathris are deep fried and made with all-purpose flour. And this is the reason why many health conscious persons donot like to try this super snack. So I decide to give this traditional savoury snacks a makeover by making it healthy easy to make – you just bake these little biscuits in an oven with whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour . The Oven Baked Mathris are flaky and tasty and one can have it without any guilt pangs.

Mathris have a very distinct flavor due to the presence of carom seeds (ajwain in Hindi). Carom seeds are known to help with digestion . I have added some Rosemary and Spinach leaves in it making it more of an  digestive biscuit… only a way tastier.

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
• Semolina – 1 cup
• Ghee/Oil  - 4 heaped tbsps
• Rosemary- 1 tsp
• Carrom seeds-( Ajwain)-1tsp
• Salt to taste
• Spinach leaves – 2 bunch
• Cold water

 

Let's Learn how to cook Mathris:

• Clean and finely chop the spinach leaves and keep it aside.
• Sieve the all purpose flour, Semolina and salt 2 to 3 times.
• In a bowl, add flour,semolina, rosemary, carom seeds, chopped spinach , ghee (or oil) and salt and combine well. The mixture should resemble fine bread crumbs. Slowly add cold water and knead into a stiff yet pliable dough. Keep it inside a cling wrap and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
• Take out the dough from the refrigerator and keep aside for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into two parts. Now start rolling the dough keeping between two sheet of  baking paper with some flour for dusting.
• Roll into a circle of thickness of your choice and with the help of cookie cutter , take out small circular Mathris. Prick all over with a fork.
• Arrange in a baking tray and apply a brush of ghee on all the Mathris  and bake on 180 degree for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Take out from oven and let it cool on wire rack for some time. Your health Tea time mathris is ready to be relished.
• Store in airtight containers. Serve them with tea.

 

Kiwifruit Sandesh

Sandesh being an inherent part of Bengali culture and festivity, became a 'messenger' of auspicious news creating an atmosphere of celebration and jubilation in Bengali households. Sandesh is a very popular Bengali sweet made with fresh homemade paneer or chenna. The traditional sandesh is made with plain chenna and some cardamom and pistachios are added to the base. But to give the traditional recipe a twist, I made a filling of kiwi fruit in it. The recipe is fairly easy to make and the end product is a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth Kiwifruit  Sandesh.

This recipe which I have made during Navaratri is quite close to my heart as this recipe has got the highest appreciation for  innovation and uniqueness in the Navaratri Recipe contest held by Filfora~ the eatolicious stop in association with  www.restokitch.com.

 

The beautiful and well thought out  gift by the  Filfora~ the eatolicious stop admins for this recipe is highly motivating. This traditional Indian Sweet called Sandesh made out of Chena or Paneer has been given a modern twist .

Packed with more vitamin C than an equivalent amount of orange, the bright green flesh of the kiwifruit speckled with tiny black seeds adds a dramatic tropical flair to any dish.

Health benefits of Kiwi fruit

• Kiwifruit is moderately good in calories, comparable to that of grapes. It has several health giving anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and fiber.
• It is good source of soluble dietary fiber.The fiber content helps to protect the colon mucousa by decreasing exposure time to toxins as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.
• The fruit is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin-C; Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
• Kiwi fruit contains very good levels of vitamin-A, vitamin-E, vitamin-K and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein and xanthin. Vitamin K has a potential role in the bone mass buiding by promoting osteotrophic activity in the
• Kiwi-fruit seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Research studies show that consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and help prevent the development of ADHD, autism, and other developmental disorders in children.
• Fresh kiwi fruit is a very rich source of heart-healthy electrolyte "potassium." Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure by countering malefic effects of sodium.
• It also contains good amounts of minerals like manganese, iron and magnesium. Manganese is used in the body as a co-factor for the powerful antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Magnesium is an important bone-strengthening mineral like calcium.

Kiwifruit Sandesh

• 2 ltr Milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• Pinch of cardamom powder
• 2 ripe Kiwi fruit
• 12 to 15 muffins mould

Garnishing as desired

• Pistachios and Kiwi pulp

Let's learn how to make Kiwifruit Sandesh:

• ·     Peel the skin of the Kiwi fruit and grind it along with ¼ cup sugar. Transfer this mixture to a heavy bottomed nonstick pan and cook on slow flame. Once it starts to dry up, add chopped Pistachios and a tbsp of chena to it. So that everything binds well. Take from heat and let it cool.

• ·         Bring milk to a boil on medium heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce the flame and add the lemon juice gradually. Within 1 to 2 minutes you will start observing the whey separating from the milk.

• ·         Transfer to a cheese cloth and squeeze out gently to release the water. Hang it for maximum 30 minutes. Make sure to check that it does not become too dry.

• ·         Transfer this chena to your kitchen platform, Check that it should be moist or the Sandesh will be crumbly.

• ·         Knead with the back of your palm for 4 to 5 minutes or till it becomes soft.

• ·         Add sugar and cardamom powder. Knead again for 3 to 4 minutes and transfer the prepared mixture to a heavy bottomed non stick pan.

• ·         Cook it over low flame till it becomes a little dry but still have certain moistness to it. Turn off the heat and let it cool for some time.

• ·         When it is still hot, start kneading it till it becomes soft.

• ·         Divide mixture into 12 to 15 equal portions and make round balls out of it.

• ·         Take 6 to 7  balls and make a well in the middle and put the Kiwi filling in the middle and place some pistachios on it .

• ·         Put each one of them in the muffin cups and garnish with sliced pistachios.
• ·     For the rest and place the pistachios on top of it and slightly press with your thumb.

• ·         Chill it on Refrigerator for some time before serving.