The summer season is also known as the Mango Season. We all wait for summer to have mangoes and different dishes to try with it. There are countless dessert options to have during the mango season, both Indian and continental style. Everyone with or without any occasion loves traditional Indian sweets. Kalakand is a sweet made out of channa (cottage cheese) very popular amongst Indian sweets. Mango adds extra flavour and richness to it.
Ingredients for Mango Kalakand:
To make the ‘Channa’ you need:
(Can be store-bought as well, but homemade will make it tastier)
- Milk- 2 litres
- Lemon juice – 1 whole lemon
Other ingredients:
- Mango puree – 1 cup (2 large mangoes/3-4 small mangoes)
- Condensed milk – 200g
- Prepared channa, crumbled (2 litres will give approximately 2 cups)
- Elaichi powder, to taste
- Almonds- chopped (about 10-12 pieces)
- Pista- chopped (about 10-12 pieces)
Method to prepare Mango Kalakand (Recipe):
The channa must be prepared first.
- Turn on the flame and add a large pan.
- Add the 2 litres of milk to a large pan and allow it to boil while stirring continuously.
- Turn of the has once the milk is boiled. Then add the lemon juice to the milk. As soon as the lemon juice starts mixing with the milk, the milk will begin to curdle and change its colour into light green.
- Pour the milk in a Muslin cloth. Then tie up the cloth and squeeze out the water. After squeezing out the water, open up the cloth and pour some cold water on the channa.
- When it cools down, using clean hands, crumble the channa smoothly.
- Now take a pan and allow it to heat up. Next in the pan, add the mango puree and condensed milk. Give it a good stir for about 6-7 minutes.
- After the mango puree and condensed milk is well mixed, add the crumbled channa and ‘elachi’ powder (suggested a pinch only) and mix it well with it. Cook it for about 9-10 minutes on low flame until the consistency becomes thick. (Thick enough to form into a dough-like texture)
- When the consistency becomes thick, please turn off the gas and let it cool down.
- While it cools down, take a tray (preferably a glass-baking tray) and grease it with some ghee. Now pour the channa mixture into the tray evenly.
- Garnish it with the chopped nuts, and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours. After it’s well-frozen, take it out and allow it to sit for a while before cutting it.
- Cut it as per your desired shape, and it is ready to serve.
