Kalakand – Something sweet for Makar Sankranti

Among the many different kind of sweets found in India, Kalakand holds a place for itself. In this country of diversity, food has its own role to play. Food in the eastern region may be a bit different from the western part while food in the north and the south may be poles apart in taste, but people love to eat and enjoy food that may not be very common in their region. Food also bring together people of this country that has an uniqueness of ‘unity in diversity’.

There are so many different festivals that come one after another throughout the year. And to mark these festivals with a distinction, food plays a special role. Food helps us remember our age old traditions and celebrations and on different festivals different varieties of food make rounds.

Without much to say now, I feel I should share this preparation.

Today’s Kalakand is easy to make and easy to please others.

This Instant Kalakand will hardly take half an hour to make. No sweating in the kitchen for this is winter and the half an hour in the kitchen will supply the heat from the fire as cooking is on.

Instant Kalakand Ingredients:

Home-made chenna or paneer from the store: 200gms

Milkmaid Condensed milk: ½ of the content from the tin

Milk powder: 2 tbsp

Sugar: About 1 tbsp (condensed milk and milk powder is sweet, so check the sweetness)

Cardamom powder: 1 tsp.

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Layer a small plate with aluminium foil and keep it aside.

Making the Kalakand:

Mash the chenna or the paneer and don’t let it become very smooth but let little granules remain.

Now to this add the condensed milk, milk powder, sugar and the cardamom powder and mix well.

Next take a pan and pour the mixture into it and cook till it starts to leave the sides. This process will hardly take 8-10 minutes.

Add the ghee and mix well for a minute.

Now pour out this mixture on the aluminium foil layered plate and level the top.

Let this cool.

Cut them into square shape and serve.

What else is needed when some sweets can be made within minutes at home?

Why run to the neighbourhood sweet shop to buy sweets when friends and relatives visit our home?

Why panic if there are no sweets to serve to chacha-chichi or mama-mami or dada-dadi or nana-nani or mausi-mausa or…?

Home-made sweet is hygienic and there is so much love mixed in it, no one can deny this fact.

…all the smiles mix with one another and then…

© gouri guha 2015