This Diwali give your dessert a fun twist of health and color as you infuse beetroot in the traditional Kalakand.
Adding vegetables into desserts has been around for a long time. And with Diwali around the corner, this recipe takes the festivities a notch higher with a dash of color. The twist to this traditional recipe comes from the fresh puree of the vibrant hued cooked beetroot puree. “This traditional, rich and delectable, sweet is prepared with clarified butter, home-made fresh cottage cheese, full-cream milk, khoya / Mawa, flavored with green cardamom powder, garnished with slivered nuts, laced with silver leaf,” says Chef Reetu Uday Kugaji, Culinary Expert & Chef Consultant. She shares the recipe below.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 1 hour
Serves: 10
Ingredients
- Home-made Cottage cheese, grated / crumbled 1½ cup
- Beetroot purée ½ cup
- Full-cream Milk 1 cup
- Khoya / Mawa, grated ½ cup
- Clarified Butter (Ghee) ¼ tbsp.
- Green Cardamom Powder ¼ tsp.
For greasing the tray
- Clarified Butter (Ghee) 2 tsp.
To apply
- Silver Leaf (Chandi Ka Warq) 1 sheet (Optional)
For the Garnish
- Pistachio nuts, slivered ¼ tbsp.
- Almonds, slivered ¼ tbsp.
Method
- In a heavy bottomed pan and add the grated / crumbled home prepared fresh cottage cheese, full-cream milk and khoya and mix well.
- Cook this on a medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Make sure you keep stirring this till the texture is like a soft dough.
- Add beetroot puree and cook till it comes together.
- Add ghee and green cardamom powder and mix till it is well combined.
- Switch off the flame.
- Grease a square steel tray with a little desi ghee, add the prepared kalakand mixture and spread evenly with a knife.
- Allow it to cool and apply the silver foil and chopped nuts.
- Refrigerate for an hour and cut into the desired shape and serve.
