EAT: Kalakand

2009/10/10

You’ll need:
l 2 cups paneer
l 2 to 3 tbsps milk powder
l 1 cup condensed milk
l ½ tsp cardamon powder
l silver varak and pistachio nuts (garnish)

First, mash paneer with hands and combine with all the other ingredients except varak and the nuts.

Heat mixture in a heavy-based pan, stirring continuously over medium heat until you reach a thick consistency (about five to six minutes).

Then spread on a greased tray. Cool and decorate with silver varak and pistachio slivers. Chill for a few hours in the fridge. Cut into squares and serve. Tip: Paneer can be easily bought from local Indian stores or you can make your own. It’s a mixture of full cream milk, lemon juice and water.

If you’d rather cut down on the calories, you can substitute condensed milk with sugar.

After the sweet is chilled for a few hours or even overnight, sprinkle with silver varak and the nuts. Silver varak is used for decoration purposes, so you can omit it if you want. This is a simple dessert that can be prepared a day before the guests arrive.

Papri Chaat You’ll need: l I cup plain flour l 2 tbsps semolina l 1/8 tsp salt l ¼ tsp carom or cumins seeds (optional) l ¾ tbsp margarine/oil l A few tbsps soda water Mix together the flour, semolina, carom and salt. Rub in the margarine and use just enough soda water until you get a firm dough. Cover dough with a wet muslin cloth and set aside for 10 minutes.

Apply a little oil on your hands to knead the dough again. Roll it out to the thickness of a chapatti or a tortilla. If the dough is a little sticky, sprinkle some flour on it and roll it out.

Cut into 1½ inch rounds with a cookie cutter or knife. Pierce each piece with a fork. Heat oil and fry papris until golden brown and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container. Tip: The shape of the papri is left to your imagination. It can also be cut into animal shapes for the children. This is a light and delicious appetiser before the main meal.

To serve papri, arrange them on a flat top. Add some boiled potatoes and chickpeas, and yogurt (season all with a little salt and spices). Then garnish them with some tamarind chutney and chaat masala (powder). Serve immediately. Tamarind Chutney You’ll need: l 200g tamarind l 1/3 cup brown/white sugar l 1 tsp cumin powder l 1 tsp fennel powder l ¾ tsp chilli powder l ¼ tsp garam masala (optional) l small piece of ginger/ginger powder l 1 cinnamon stick or a pinch of cinnamon powder l 1½ cup water Soak tamarind seeds in hot water. Strain into a pan. Then put pan on stove and add all other ingredients. Cook, stirring continuously. Remove ginger and cinnamon stick. Leave to cool. Tip: This chutney can be kept in the fridge for many weeks. Always ensure that you never use a wet spoon when taking out the chutney, otherwise it might spoil.

Add chopped dates or raisins to the mixture when it’s on the stove if you want the chutney a little sweeter. If there is little water in the chutney, it will last longer. You can use the chutney as a garnish or eat it with saffron rice.

Kalakand

Papri Chaat