Kalakand

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Take a pan and add milk in it. Give one boil to the milk then turn off the heat and wait for 2-3 minutes.plate and mash it well with hands.
Milk water and vinegar and add a little at a time while mixing it continuously till milk curdles up completely. Take a large bowl, put a sieve on it and then put a muslin/cotton cloth on it.
Strain the water and chhena through it, after that wash it well with room temperature water while mixing it.
Remove the cloth with chhena and dip a few times in water and squeeze the excess water out.
Once dry remove the chhena on a plate and mash it well with hands.
In a large pan add milk, stir and cook on low flame till it becomes thick or reduces to ¼.
After it reaches its desired thickness add sugar, little at a time while stirring it continuously.
Now increase the flame to full and add rest of the sugar while stirring it. Cook for 5-6 minutes while stirring continuously.
Once sugar dissolves completely, reduce the flame to medium and cook again for 4-5 minutes while stirring it.
After 5 minutes add cardamom powder and mashed chhena in it, mix well and keep cooking on medium flame.
If you want to serve like rabri then you can stop after cooking chhena with rabri for a few minutes and garnish with nuts and serve. If you want to serve like barfi then cook for afew extra minutes.
Once mixture looks thick enough turn off the flame and keep stirring for a few minutes.

Shilpi’s Quick Tricks

You can use buffalo milk if you want.
If you don’t want to use vinegar then use fresh squeezed lime juice.
Washing with room temperature water stops overcooking and helps to get rid of sourness in chhena.
You can skip garlic if you don’t eat garlic.
You can cut chillies, garlic and ginger into small pieces if you want.
Remember that I have used 2 litres of milk (1 litre for rabri and 1 litre for chhena) and will be using ½ cup sugar.
You can use rose essence if you want.
Don’t overcook or chhena will become chewy.
To check if your chhena is ready for becoming kalakand then wet your hands with water take a small amount and if you can make a ball of it then it means it is ready.

Keyword dessert, kalakand, sweets

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