Kalakand , a rich and delectable Indian milk cake made with milk and flavored with cardamom. It's one of the popular milk based sweets from North India. South Indian sweet palkova is something similar to this kalakand.

I came to know about this sweet years ago through blogging. Even though i have been making this sweet for a while now, i was waiting for an occasion to share this sweet recipe on the blog. What would be a better occasion than Diwali for making sweets, right? So here i'm with this yummy sweet recipe !

Milk 

Milk is the prime ingredient in this sweet. So use the full fat whole milk for this recipe for better flavor and taste. Don't use the skimmed milk or non-fat milk in this recipe, it doesn't taste  the same. 

Condensed Milk 

Adding condensed milk enhances the richness of the sweet. However you can use the regular white sugar too in this recipe. In the past, i made this recipe with sugar and it tasted good too.

I have used 3/4 cup of condensed milk for this recipe. It has moderate sweetness. If you like more sweetness in general, you can use up to 1 cup of condensed milk. 

Start with 3/4 cup of condensed milk, once the kalakand reaches thick consistency, do a taste test and if it need more sweetness then add more condensed milk at that time and cook it for a couple of more mins. 

Adding condensed milk at the final stage of the sweet wouldn't affect the taste or texture.

Flavoring Agent

I have used only the cardamom powder in this recipe. Rose water / Rose essence is the other common flavoring agent used in Kalakand. So you can use whatever flavor you like or combination of both too.  

Garnish the Kalakand

I have used only the chopped pistachios for garnishing. Chopped almonds , edible silver leaf are also great options for garnishing the kalakand.

Tips for beginners 

• Stir often while cooking the kalakand so that it doesn't get stuck to the bottom. It it sticks to the bottom, there is a high chance of burning at the bottom. Even the slightest burning would ruin the whole dish.
• Highly recommend using a non-stick or heavy bottom pan for making this sweet.

Now let's check out how to make this delectable kalakand !

Kalakand Recipe | Indian Milk Cake

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Yields : 12 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Kalakand, Paneer Kalakand,Milk Cake, Kalakand , a rich and delectable Indian milk cake made with milk and flavored with cardamom.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Milk - 6 cups

Condensed Milk - 3/4 to 1 cup

Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Chopped pistachio - 1 tbsp

Procedure

First let's make fresh paneer. Heat 4 cups of milk in a sauce and bring it to boil. Once it starts to boil, keep the flame  low and add the lemon juice little by little.

Stir the milk continuously. Once all the milk curdles, switch off the flame. Place a cheese cloth on to the strainer and pour the curdled milk. Rinse the paneer in the running water well so that the lemon tartness will be removed. 

Squeeze the water from the paneer well and keep it aside.In a non-stick / thick bottomed pan, add the remaining 2 cups of milk and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, add the condensed milk(I used only 3/4 cup of condensed milk and it has mild sweetness, for sweeter version, use 1 cup of condensed milk)

And the prepared paneer. Mix it all well together.

Stir the milk mixture now and then. Cook the mixture till it thickens and is able to scoop it on the ladle(it takes approximately 15-20 mins in medium flame). Then add the ghee and cardamom powder.

Mix it all well together and when the mixture starts to leave the pan, switch off the flame. (The last pic in the below collage in for your reference on how the mixture looks on the day light)

Pour the mixture on to the ghee greased pan and level the top with a ghee coated spoon/any small bowl. Finally garnish the top with chopped pistachios and let it cool for 2-3 hrs. Then slice and enjoy!

                        My little one is helping me with garnishing :-)

Delicious Kalakand is ready ! 

Related: How to make Kaju Katli 

Notes:

• Store the leftovers in the refrigerator for longer life
• It stays well for upto 7 days in the refrigerator.
• Tastes great when it's fresh.

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Maravalli Kizhangu Murukku, a delicious and crunchy murukku made with cooked tapioca roots. This murukku has a unique taste from the tapioca and makes it more addictive. 

If you have followed me on IG, you might already know that how much we like maravalli kizhangu. I often make them as a snack for evening time. Steamed maravalli kizhangu with salt and freshly grated coconut is absolutely delicious. 

Last year, around diwali time, i came to know about this murukku through social media(now can't remember where it is from ) and tried it in a very small quantity for the first time and it turned out super delicious. Ever since it's been added to my snack list and i have already made it 3-4 times and every time we loved it. 

So if you're looking for a unique murukku recipe to try for this Diwali, then definitely give this a try. I'm sure that you would be amazed by its taste and texture.

Maravalli Kizhangu / Tapioca Roots

Usually, here in Canada, i buy maravalli kizhangu/tapioca roots from Walmart as well as Indian Stores. Both are the same and taste similar. If you're not using maravalli kizhangu much in your cooking, then check out this post when i shared how to peel and use the maravalli kizhangu. 

Maravalli kizhangu has a lot of starch like potatoes so adding maravalli Kizhangu to the rice flour makes the dough more pliable and the dough doesn't break often when you make murukku.  That's one thing that i really love about adding the maravalli kizhangu to the murukku dough.

Cooking the maravalli kizhangu

For this recipe, cook the maravalli kizhangu in a steamer plate instead of boiling it in the water. Because when boiling it in the water, maravalli kizhangu tends to absorb a lot of moisture so later while frying murukku, it seems to absorb a lot of oil. 

So to avoid the excess absorption of  oil in the murukku, i highly recommend to steam cook the maravalli kizhangu. You can steam it in an idli plate or any steamer plate without touching the water.

Now let's check out how to make this yummy maravalli kizhangu murukku.

Maravalli Kizhangu Murukku | Tapioca Murukku

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Yields : 32-35  
Recipe Category: Snacks | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Maravalli Kizhangu Murukku, Tapioca Murukku, Diwali Murukku Maravalli Kizhangu Murukku, a delicious and crunchy murukku made with cooked tapioca roots.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Rice Flour - 1 cup

Cooked and Mashed Tapioca Roots - 1/4 cup

Butter(melted) - 1 tbsp

White Sesame Seed - 2 tsp

Water - as needed

Salt - to taste

Procedure

First peel the tapioca steam and cut into small pieces(remove the center small stem if you have). Steam cook it for 5 mins or until it's soft. Let it cool completely and put it in the mixie jar and pulse it a couple of times or until it's completely mushy.

In a bowl, add the rice flour, mashed tapioca, butter, sesame seed and salt. 

Mix it all together with your finger and then add water little by little to make a soft dough.

Use the star shaped disc for your murukku press and fill it with the murukku maavu/dough. Then make a small murukku on the parchment paper/ small ladle.

Heat the oil for frying and then add a few murukku at a time and cook till the "shh" sound stops completely. Drain the murukku from the oil and place it on tissue paper.

Tasty and crunchy murukku is ready ! Cool it completely and store it in airtight container. 

Related:How to make Coconut Milk Murukku

Notes:

• Instead of white sesame seeds, you can also use black sesame seeds.
• You can use any murukku press disc to make this murukku.

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Mohanthal, a traditional Gujarathi sweet made from the besan / chickpeas flour. It's one of my favorite sweets made with besan. The flavor and the taste of Mohanthal is simply amazing. Trust me, it's so addictive and you can't stop it with just one piece of  Mohanthal. 

As a South Indian, i was never aware of this for a very long time, a couple of years ago only i came to know about this sweet. By looking at the ingredients and the process of making this sweet itself, i knew that would be delicious. 

As of now, i have made this sweet a lot of times on various occasions and it's always a big hit.  Since this was a new sweet to me initially, i have browsed through a lot of recipes and tried different ratios of ingredients every time when i make and eventually found the recipe that i like the most.

As of now, i have made this sweet a lot of times on various occasions and it's always a big hit.  Since this was a new sweet to me initially, i have browsed through a lot of recipes and tried different ratios of ingredients every time when i make and eventually found the recipe that i like the most.

Many recipes call for khoya/mawa for making mohanthal but in today's recipe that i'm sharing, i haven't used khoya but still the mohanthal has melt in your mouth texture. 

Roasting the besan/kadalai maavu

Roasting the besan properly is the key to make delicious mohanthal. Since my kitchen has yellow light, i have taken the picture of the besan in daylight for three main stages that you can see  in the pic below.

Make sure to keep the flame in low-medium and roast the besan well. It shouldn't be burned at any stage and at the same time it should be dark brown after roasting in the ghee. Then once you add the milk to the besan-ghee mixture, it instantly turns reddish brown in color (last pic in the collage below) and that's the time to remove from the heat. 

Sugar Syrup Consistency 

Once the besan is roasted well, half the work is already done. Next is the sugar syrup. Make sure to boil the sugar syrup till it reaches one string consistency. That's the key to setting the mohanthal. 

If the sugar syrup passes the one string consistency, then the mohanthal would be hard. Or if the sugar syrup doesn't reach the one string consistency, then the mohanthal wouldn't set and be like halwa. 

Take the sugar syrup with the spoon and add a few drops in a small bowl. After a few secs, it should be bearable hot, at that time, take the sugar syrup between your thumb and index finger, pull the fingers gently, a single thread should form. That's the correct stage for sugar syrup.

Beginners Tips 

• Don't leave the besan unattended while roasting. It easily gets burned at the bottom.
• If it's not set after a few hours, then place it on the refrigerator and it will set immediately.

Happy Deepavali to all ! Have a fun-filled day with your loved ones. Will see you all again in another post soon. 

Mohanthal | Gujarathi Mohanthal Recipe

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Serves : 6 
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Mohanthal, Mohanthal without Khoya , Mohanthal without mawa , Mohanthal sweet,Gujarathi Mohanthal Mohanthal, a traditional Gujarathi sweet made from the besan / chickpeas flour. It's one of my favorite sweets made with besan.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Kadalai Maavu / Besan - 1 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Ghee - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp

Milk - 1/4 cup + 1.5 tbsp

Water - 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Almonds(silvered) - a few (optional)

Procedure

First take the besan in a bowl, add 1 tbsp of ghee and 1.5 tbsp of milk into it. 

Mix it well with your hands and then sieve the mixture through the siever.

The besan looks like a fine beach sand, that's the perfect texture for mohanthal. Next heat a thick bottomed kadai, add the remaining 1/2 cup ghee.

When the ghee starts to warm up, add the besan mixture and mix it well. 

Roast the besan in the ghee till it turns into dark brown.It takes around 15-18 mins in the low medium flame. Stir the mixture continuously to avoid burning at the bottom. Initially the mixture would be thick, roasting continuously would make the mixture lighter and a little bit thinner.

Once the mixture is dark brown, add the remaining 1/4 cup of cup and mix it well. The mixture instantly turns into reddish brown. 

Colors of besan at each stages. Since my kitchen has yellow light, I have captured the  three stages of besan color alone in day light for easy understanding 

Once the mixture turns reddish brown, remove the besan mixture from the heat and keep it aside. Next let's make sugar syrup, add the sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring into boil.

 Keep the flame in medium and boil the syrup till it reaches one string consistency. Next add the sugar syrup and cardamom powder into the besan mixture and mix it well.

 Once it all comes together as a homogenous mixture. Put it in the flame and cook it for around 3-4 mins or until it leaves the sides of the pan.

Then transfer the mixture into the ghee applied pan(i used parchment paper also for safety) . Garnish the top with the almonds and let it cool completely. Once it completely cools down, cut into desired shape.

Delicious Mohanthal is ready to serve.

Related:How to make Milk Cake 

Notes

• You can garnish with any types of nuts or edible silver paper or leave it as it is also.
• I have used full fat milk and highly recommend to use that for rich taste.

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Mango Coconut Ladoo, a delicious ladoo made with desiccated coconut and mango pulp. It's one of the easiest ladoo recipes to make within 10 mins. 

If you have followed me for a while, you might already know about my love for mangoes . It's really hard for me to reserve some mangoes to try any recipes because i simply love eating them as it is ! 

But i have been wanting to make this ladoo for a while, so this summer, i bought some extra mangoes on every grocery shopping with a hope of making these ladoos before mangoes are gone for this season. As a result, so far i have made these ladoos three times ! Yep, it's that much good and addictive ! 

Condensed Milk 

For this ladoo, i have used condensed milk for sweetness. It gives such a rich taste to the ladoo.

Also depending on the sweetness of the mango, you may need more or less condensed milk.

So start off with 1/3 of condensed milk.  First mix coconut, mango pulp and condensed milk, give a quick taste and then add more condensed milk if needed.

Fresh Mango Vs Mango Pulp

I have used fresh mango for this ladoo. But store bought mango pulp can also be used for this recipe. If you're using canned mango pulp, make sure to add less condensed milk because most of the canned mango pulp already has sugar in it. 

Now let's check out on how to make these delicious mango ladoo.

Mango Ladoo | Mango Coconut Ladoo

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 10 mins | Serves : 10 
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Mango Ladoo, Mango Coconut Ladoo, Ladoo Recipes Mango Coconut Ladoo, a delicious ladoo made with desiccated coconut and mango pulp.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Mango pulp - 1/2 cup

Desiccated Coconut - 1 cup

Condensed milk - 1/3 -1/2 cup*

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

* Depends on the mango sweetness, you can add more or less of condensed milk.

Procedure

Take a one medium size well-ripen mango, scoop out all the flesh in a blender and grind into smooth puree. Take 1/2 cup of mango pulp from it.  

Next add the desiccated coconut, mango pulp and condensed milk in a pan and then switch on the heat. Milk it all well together.

Cook it in a medium flame and within a few mins, it all comes together like a single mass. At this stage add the ghee and the cardamom powder.

Cook it for a few more mins. When you're able to roll the mixture into smooth ball, switch off the flame. The ladoo mixture is ready. 

Let it cool down until the heat of the mixture is hand bearable. Then take a small amount of mixture and roll into smooth ball. 

That's it, Delicious Mango Ladoo is ready.

Notes:

• Within 8-10 mins the ladoo would be ready for the given quantity, so don't cook for a longer time otherwise the ladoo would be chewy.
• My mango is very sweet ,so i have added only 1/3 cup of condensed milk
• It stays well in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
• Use a fine variety of desiccated coconut.
• Use mango that has less fibre and in bright color for smooth and vibrant looking ladoos
• Store bought mango pulp can also be used for this recipe.

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