Homemade sweets are superb way of making picky kids eat food.If you can control sugar content or make it using natural sugar sweets are fabulous.Milk based sweets are a delight.Be it Bengali sweets,halwa or kalakand.Nowadays, you get it in many fruity flavors.Popular ones are mango & strawberry.Mango Kalakand is a yummy treat.Especially if you have nut and egg allergies.This helps you indulge in a sweet tooth without missing out too much in life.
I find it a great way of having milk.Sometimes kids don't want to have milk.Having sweets in moderation helps.Of course,kids are super active.They burn the extra calories in a jiffy.It is we who need to worry.By making it at home,we can avoid extra sugar.Adding fruit pulp can also help us reduce sugar.Also, making it at home ensures no adulterated mawa. I find homemade sweets always better.
There are many mango based sweets you can make.Most common ones are mango payesh,mango sandesh,mango peda, aam doi/mango mishti doi.We also use mango to make mango lassi, mango kulfi, pudding and cake.
History of Kalakandh
Kalakand is a simple yet famous Indian recipe.
It originated in Alwar,Rajasthan in 1940s.
Travel tip: You must try Thakurdas Kalakand whenever you visit Alwar.
Another version is famous in Jhumari Talaiya,Jharkhand.
A creamier one.Created by Bhatia brothers who arrived post partition.
Step by step pictures for making kalakand
Scroll below to read the recipe of mango kalakand :
Mango kalakand can also be made with canned mango pulp and reduced milk.
Ingredients
- 250 gms/1 cup soft khoya
- 250 gms/1 cup paneer or fresh cottage cheese(obtained from 1.25 ltr milk)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 cups mango pulp
- 8-10 strands of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp. milk
- 2-3 cardamoms, crushed.
- Handful of sliced pistachios for garnish
Instructions
- Blend mango pieces to get smooth mango pulp.
- Add sugar and start cooking on low flame.
- Add khoya and paneer to mango pulp with remaining ingredients
- Continue cooking on low flame until it starts coming together.
- Stop cooking once it stops being sticky.
- place it in a greased tray to set for few hours.
- Cut in pieces,garnish with pistachios.
- Add the paneer to this reduced milk and add cardamoms and saffron to it.
- Mix well and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add blended mango pulp and ghee.
- Cook for another 10 minutes till you get a barfi/fudge like consistency.
- Line a tray with ghee and spread this mix to it.
- Press with a spatula and cut shapes using a knife.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Garnish with sliced pistachios and serve fresh.
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