Mango Kalakand (Quick recipe)

Hello everyone, Rakshabandhan is round the corner, so lets prepare some homemade sweets for our brothers and take lot many gifts from them :)))) 

Kalakand is a very well know sweet by all of us. If we are going to follow the authentic recipe, it will take lots of time, but I have got you all a very easy, simple and quick recipe. I have flavoured it with mangoes and hence it will be Mango Kalakand. You can flavour it with only Cardamom or Kesar or may be strawberries or why not pineapple? Various options for you, only the basic recipe will be same. So lets quickly run through the ingredients following the method :)

Video Link :

Ingredients :

• Mango Pulp : 1 cup
• Condensed milk : 150 ml (Click here for homemade condensed milk recipe)
• Fresh Paneer : 1/2 cup crumbled (Click here for Homemade paneer recipe)
• Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4 tsp
• Ghee/butter/oil : 1 tbsp (To grease)
• Chopped Pistachios : to garnish

Method :

• In a heavy bottom pan heat mango pulp for a 3-4 minutes. Once started reducing, add condensed milk and paneer and mix well. 
• Cook it unless the water content is reduced and it starts leaving sides of the pan. Please refer video for the perfect consistency.
• Once done, add cardamom powder, mix and take it out on a greased plate or a board.
• Try to form a 1/2" log, apply the pistachios and let it completely cool.
• Once cooled, cut it into desired shape and serve :)

Enjoy and have fun :)
Happy Rakshabandhan

 

Please do share your experiences and feedback with me in the below section of comments or on my Facebook page. I too have a You Tube channel please do visit for all the video recipes. All the links mentioned below :) 

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/user/cookwithpriyanka

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/cookwithpriyanka

Thanks and Enjoy cooking
Priyanka :)

Mango Shrikhand

Mangoes are my all time favorite. But being in London have very limited access to Asian Mangoes. Found some this weekend, had few like this only and rest planned to make some dessert. 

Its very hot here, I can very well understand the heat in India. So made some Mango Shrikhand, its very light & refreshing dessert. Flavored it only with mangoes and didn't add cardamom or kesar, as just wanted to highlight mango in it. 

Its very easy and quick recipe, also very well prepared in advance, just refrigerate and serve chill. I prepared it with mangoes, but you can add any sweet fruit, dry fruits or even chocolate. So without wasting any of the time, lets quickly run through the ingredients, following the method.

Video Link :

Ingredients :

• Hung curd/ very thick yogurt : 1 cup
• Mango Puree : 1/2 cup
• Powdered sugar : 1/4 cup (adjust as per the taste and mango)
• Pistachios : 1 tbsp for garnishing

Note: the video ingredients may vary, but I have used the same ratio made it a bit easy.

Method :

• Beat the yogurt/curd with the help of a spatula or a spoon (please don't use a blender or whisk otherwise you will loose its consistency)
• Add in powdered sugar and Mango puree and mix well.
  Fold in some pistachios and leave some for garnishing.
• Serve it in a glass or a bowl, pour some mango puree on top and garnish it with some pistachios.

Enjoy!!!!

Note:

• For hung curd - put the yogurt/curd on a sieve over a bowl. Put it inside fridge overnight. Morning you will see that the excess water is drained in the bowl and you are left with thick curd.
• If you see any lumps, then pass the mixture through a sieve and it will be fine.

Please do share your experiences and feedback with me in the below section of comments or on my Facebook page. I too have a You Tube channel please do visit for all the video recipes. All the links mentioned below :) 

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/user/cookwithpriyanka

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/cookwithpriyanka

Thanks & Happy Cooking

Priyanka

Vermicelli upma/Vegetable Semiya

I am an egg lover and try to have them daily in my breakfast menu but we eat total veg on Mondays & Tuesdays, hence try to prepare some special breakfast for these days, so that it can compensate those missing eggs. Vermicelli upma or Namkeen semaiya is always a yes in my home. It is a very traditional South Indian breakfast too and made with lots many varieties.  It requires very little effort and tastes delicious. And best of all, my family loves it. I love its texture and have it with lots of veggies and lime juice. Sometimes with coconut or tomato chutney. I still remember those lazy weekends at my mom's place, when everyone used to sit together and had this in breakfast. So lets see the ingredients following the method.

Ingredients :

• Vermicelli/Semiya : 2 cups (I used Bombino)
• Onions : 1 large (finely sliced)
• Green Chillies : 1-2 slit (or as per the taste)
• Carrots : 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
• Peas : 1/2 cup (Frozen/fresh)
• Potato : 1 medium (Finely chopped)
• Tomatoes : 2 medium (optional)
• Chili powder : 1 tsp (optional)
• Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
• A Sprig of curry leaves
• Peanuts : 1/4 cup
• Oil : 2 tbsps
• Salt : As per the taste 
• Lime juice : 2 tbsps (or as per the taste)

Method :

• Dry roast the vermicelli in a pan on low flame. Stir continuously till you get the aroma and a very light golden color. If you are using already roasted ones, then you can skip this step. 
• If adding peanuts, roast them and keep aside. I usually dry roast my peanuts in microwave for 4-5 minutes (depends on the quantity). You can also fry them in oil.
• Heat 8 cups of water in a big pan, add some salt. As soon as the boil comes add roasted vermicelli to it and switch off the gas. Keep an eye, as soon they are done (you can check by braking them with fingers) strain them in a sieve.
• Simultaneously, heat oil and add mustard seeds, let them splatter, then add curry leaves and green chillies.
  Now add onions and saute a bit, then add carrots & potato, saute, cover it with a lid and let it cook. If you are using fresh peas add with carrots only as frozen ones can be added later with tomatoes.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes, chili powder, salt and cook. Once tomatoes are little soften, add strained vermicelli and mix. Add lime juice, peanuts and serve hot.

Notes:

• Try to boil the vermicelli and fry the veggies simultaneously, as after boiling and keeping the vermicelli for long makes them a bit sticky. If there is a situation where you need to keep them for long, then spread them on a tray and apply some oil gently. 
• Adding tomatoes and red chili powder is optional, but I like the taste hence add them.
• You can add as many veggies you like and also adjust their quantities as per you likings.

Please do share your experiences and feedback with me in the below section of comments or on my Facebook page. I too have a You Tube channel please do visit for all the video recipes. All the links mentioned below :) 

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/user/cookwithpriyanka

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/cookwithpriyanka

Thanks & Happy cooking
Priyanka :)