Diwali Recipes for Sweets: Kalakand

Kalakand (Hindi) or Qulaqand(Urdu) is a very popular sweet during Diwali in the northern and eastern parts of India. This milk based sweet simply melts in your mouth. Quand is an Arabic word, which means sweets. Here are some very easy and simple to follow Diwali recipes for Kalakand which you can easily prepare at home and surprise your loved ones with thisDiwali 2011.

Express with Cottage Cheese: What you will need

• 1 can condensed milk
• 250 grams fresh paneer (cottage cheese)
• A pinch of saffron
• 1 tablespoon cardamom powder
• 8 nos. Pistachio nuts

To prepare

• Mix all the ingredients in a microwave proof glass bowl.
• Microwave on high for fifteen minutes.
• Every three minutes stop, stir and restart.
• Pour the mix on a greased aluminum tray and let it set for few hours.
• Cut into squares to serve.

Express: What you will need

• Condensed milk -1 can
• Yogurt- 1 tablespoon
• 1 tablespoon cardamom powder
• ½ tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) for greasing.

To prepare

• Mix condensed milk, yogurt and cardamom powder in a microwave proof glass bowl.
• Note that you don’t have to add sugar to the mix as the condensed milk is already sweetened.
• Microwave on high for 9 minutes.
• After every two minutes stop, stir and restart. Stirring is very important otherwise it will not cook evenly.
• Let it stand for 3 minutes.
• Pour the mixture in a greased aluminum tray and let it set on a cool place for a few hours.
• Cut into squares to serve.

 

Garnish

• Garnish with edible silver foil on Kalakand.
• Grate some cashew, pistachios and almonds to use as a garnish.

Variations

• Add some fresh mango pulp to the condensed milk and yogurt pulp and you will have a delicious mango Kalakand ready in minutes.
• Chocolate is a favorite among the kids. Add some chocolate sauce to the mix for chocolaty Kalakand.
• Also, add some cardamom powder for flavor.
• You can also experiment with food colourings to add your own unique look to the Kalakand.
• When the mix is ready divide it into three different portions and add different colours to each portion. Layer the portions on top of one another thus creating an interesting layered Kalakand display.
• You can also add some grated coconut to the mix for coconut Kalakand.

The origins of Kalakand can be traced back to the Braj area of Uttar Pradesh which is known for is excellent quality milk and dairy products. Kalakand tastes best when eaten fresh.