Carrot/Gajar Kalakand

Highlights:

This mouth watering nutritionally dense dessert has flavor of gajar ka halwa & taste & texture of kalakand.The freshly prepared homemade paneer makes it more nutritious, healthy and delicious sweet treat to enjoy at any occasion. Yes, of course with no change in texture & appearance.

This recipe is highly recommended for those looking for weight loss, who are diabetic & those having high cholesterol or triglycerides, but still crave for sweets. So enjoy this diwali, & satisfy your sweet tooth with the healthy option.

 Special Tips:

1. The special properties of carrot itself makes it a healthy choice, combining other healthy ingredients with carrot can only add more nutritive value to carrot kalakand.
2. All ingredients are quite healthy in their own ways, thus provide a well-rounded influx of vitamins and minerals.
3. It contains real good amount of antioxidants, prevents from infection,rich in protein. It also helps in maintaining blood sugar levels, it can do wonders for heart health.
4. It also contains healthy fats, that can be rarely achieved by daily routine diet.

Ingredients
Carrot (grated)
Full Cream milk
Fresh cream/Malai
Clarified butter
Sugar
Pistachio 5 gm
Cashew 15gm
Walnuts 15 gm
Raisins 20 gm
Green cardamom powder 2 gm

No.of serves- 16 no.
200gm
500ml+100ml
2 tsp
10 ml
20 gm
5 gm
15gm
15 gm
20 gm
2 gm

Method: 

For chena:

1. Heat the milk: Pour the milk into the saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring the milk to boil, Stir the milk occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure the milk doesn't scald. When milk come to the boil.
2. Add the lemon juice: Remove the milk from heat and stir in the lemon juice. The milk should begin to curdle immediately, but it's ok if it doesn't.
3. Let the milk stand for 10 minutes: Cover the milk and let stand for 10 minutes to give the acid time to completely separate the curds and whey. At the end of 10 minutes, the curds should be completely separated and the liquid should look greenish and watery. If the milk hasn't separated, try adding some of lemon juice.
4. Strain the chena: Spread muslin cloth over the steel strainer and pour the liquid chena.
5. Squeeze the chena: Gather the cheesecloth/muslin cloth in your hand and gently squeeze to remove the excess whey.
6. Keep aside the chena & begin with remaining process of making carrot kalakand.

For gajar kalakand:

1. Bring milk to boil in a deep tick bottom pan.
2. Peel and grate the carrots. Crumble the paneer.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a pan and saute cashew, walnut & raisins. Keep aside. In same pan add 1 tsp ghee, add the grated carrots. Saute for 4-5 minutes.
4. Add milk & cook till carrot absorbs the milk on medium to low flame
5. Add fresh malai, crumbled paneer and sugar mix well. Cook in low flame,stirring continuously for 10-12 minutes.
6. Cook till the mixture leaves the side of the pan and turns into a soft consistency. Add dry fruits, cardamom powder & give it a nice mix.
7. Transfer the mixture to a tray greased with ghee or use parchment paper to set the kalakand. Sprinkle some finely sliced pistachio on top of kalaland & press gently. Set aside till the mixture cools and sets. Cut into squares and serve carrot kalakand.
8. Store in airtight container & refrigerate it. Enjoy cold or hot.

Notes:

1. I used the minimal amount of sugar just to the kalakand but one can always increase the amount of sugar as per the taste. You may also use condensed milk instead of sugar to set the kalakand.
2. One can replace carrot with lauki/ghiya, cauliflower/phoolgobhi, petha, chukandar/beetroot with no change in recipe & other ingredients.