Kalakand - Tasty bhi, Healthy bhi

*** The post is about how one can replace the white sugar with Sugar Free Natura so that they can enjoy their favourite sweet dishes without worrying about calories or health problem. Sugar free natura is a safe alternative to sugar and can be consumed by diabetics persons as well. I would like to thank Sugar Free Natura for having given me the opportunity to write about it. Visit their website to know more ***

My hubby has a sweet tooth and often craves for something sweet after a meal. Previously whenever I used to bake a cake or make some dessert, he would literally jump in joy like a child and would indulge in sumptuous portions of the desserts. But then when his tests  revealed that he is pre-diabetic, I restricted his sugar intake to almost nil. Obviously he didn't like it at all. In fact he stopped talking with me for a couple of days for that, hehe. Then I had almost stopped making sweets and desserts at home, for he would sneak into the kitchen and steal like a child whenever I wouldn't be around.

But at the same time, I felt really sad to see my husband resigned to living without dessert for the rest of his life, if my curfews could work. It was then that I searched for healthier alternatives to sugar. That was when I came to know about Sugar Free Natura. It is an ideal replacement for the white sugar - not only does it impart the same sweetness to the dishes as the white sugar but is also very heat stable. As a result it can be safely used to make any sweet dish or desserts without fearing about any health problem or the calories. Sugar free natura contains Sucralose which is much more safer option than the usual white sugar and so now the diabetics, the fitness seekers and those who slog out to shed weight can satiate their sweet cravings without any worries.

Today being a Sunday and with such a nice weather, my husband took me out for lunch and then followed that up with a beautiful movie. Now as a return gift, I thought of cooking a sweet dish for my husband. After brainstorming for a while, I finally settled for Kalakand. He loves it immensely. Making Kalakand doesn't rally involve any difficult step, however one needs patience. But given the end result, my labour was totally worth it.

*** Requirements *** 

Full Cream Milk - 1 litre

A small piece of Alum - about two pinches of powdered alum

Sugar Free Natura - 1/4 cup

Mawa or Khoya (grated) - 100 gms

Green Cardamoms - 2 or 3 grounded

Blanched Almonds (thinly sliced) - about 2 tablespoons

Crushed Cashew nuts - about 3 tablespoons

Desi Ghee - 1 tablespoon to grease the plate

*** How to make Kalakand ***

Bring 1 litre of full cream milk to boil and then lowering the heat, keep it over low flame till it gets reduced to almost half and thickens up considerably. 

When the milk has reduced appreciably, now take a piece of alum and crush it with a mortar and pestel and add about 2 pinches of it to the milk. After addition of alum, the milk starts attaining a grainy form, keep stirring. 

After about 3-4 minutes of adding alum, stir in 1/4th cup of sugar free natura and mix it nicely so that it gets dissolved in the mixture.  

Now take a mould (a flat plate having a diameter of 6-7 inches and a depth of 1-2 inches will also do) and grease it with desi ghee.

Add the grated khoya or mawa and keep stirring the milk mixture till it thickens up considerably.

Then add the crushed cardamom powder, followed by half of the sliced almonds and cashew nuts and mix nicely. Keep it over fire for another minute or so.

Then pour it onto the greased plate. Since my plate was too big and the kalakand mixture could cover only half of my plate, so in order to get more thicker kalakand (with a bigger height), instead of spreading it thinly all over the plate, I poured the kalakand mixture on only one side of the greased plate and using a spoon, pushed it back so that it looked like a half moon like this.

Now garnish the kalakand surface with rest of the sliced almonds and the cashew nuts.

The final step is to keep the kalakand plate inside a refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes to get set. We can then cut them into pieces and serve them.

I could once again discover that same old child-like innocence on my hubby dear's happy face. Thank you Sugar free natura. Without your help, probably it wouldn't have been possible.