200 Followers/Blogger Friends - Kalakand (Ricotta Cheese Desert) - 2 Ingredients Wonder

This is for my celebration of having 200 followers/ blogger friends who have been with me all through the years of my blogging in encouraging me and giving me the inspiration and to improve more.
Thanks to all the friends!
:)

I always wanted to make traditional/authentic Indian sweets at home and keep myself way too far from trying them as I felt it was time consuming. But I really appreciate people around the world to bring up the ways to make it easier and still keep the authenticity of their respective country desserts, especially when they are out of their country and still want to eat their country sweets and don't get it, but really have to find a way to make one for yourself at home. This made me feel good and so I am here with the experiment of making Kalakand the easiest way I have ever known. :) So

Well since this is the oldest Indian Sweets, I would love to share some words about this dessert.

This is a popular Indian Sweet made out of solidified, sweetened milk and cottage cheese. It owes to the milk-rich Braj, a region of Uttar Pradesh. Kalakand is famous in many states of India.

Kalakand is one of the oldest sweets made in India during festivals and celebrations.

The traditional way of preparing this sweet is, you place a huge pan with large amount of milk is boiled and reduced/thickened while stirring continously adding sugar and dry fruits into it.

I hope anyone like me, craving to eat this traditional Indian Sweet would not miss this post and at least give it a try to make it once and I bet they would definitely make it more than once. :)

Ingredients:
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15 oz Ricotta Cheese (I used whole milk, you can use either low fat or skim, I feel whole milk gives the best results)
15 oz Condensed Milk can
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
Dry Fruits - Your choice (I used slivered Almonds, toasted them lightly and decorated on top or you can use edible silver foil)

Method:
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1. In a bowl mix all the ingredients except the almonds if you are using it for garnish, else if using mixed dry fruits you can mix along with other ingredients.
2. In a microwave safe bowl which has little high sides, place the mixture and cook it for about 5-10 mins on high atirring it occassionaly or b/w every 1-2 mins.
3. Now place it in a flat pan spreading it out to the desired thickness you want.

4. I cooked in the same glass pie plate and allowed it cool in the same.
5. Garnish it with the almonds and allow it to cool in fridge.
6. Once it has set for a hour or so, you can cut into desired shapes and serve it cold or at room temperature.

It's as simple as that!! :)

Fried Modakams For Ganesha Chaturti - Fried Dumpligs With A Sweet Filling

FRIED MODAKAM FOR GANESHA 

CHATURTI 

 Ganapati Homam/Havan is usually performed on any auspicious day, at the crack of  dawn to get the blessings of  the Lord  who is the remover of all obstacles in life. His favourite Modakams are fried the previous evening so that they can be offered to Him in the early hours the specified day. Fried Modakams can also be offered to Lord Ganesha along with the usual steamed kozhukattais on Ganesha Chaturti day. 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE OUTER COVERING 

Plain flour / Maida - 1 cup 

Fine Semolina - 2 tbsps 

Ghee - 1 tbsp 

Salt - 1/2 a pinch 

TO MAKE THE DOUGH FOR THE OUTER COVERING 

1. Mix all the ingredients together. 

2. Knead into a smooth and soft dough by adding the required amount of water little by little. 

3. Cover the dough and allow it to stand for at least one hour. 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THE SWEET FILLING 

Dried coconut/ Copra/ Kobri (grated) - 1 cup 

Jaggery (Crushed) - 1 cup 

Cardamom  - 2 

TO MAKE THE SWEET FILLING 

1. Grind all the ingredients together in a mixer till they come together as a ball of  sweet filling / Pooranam.

TO MAKE THE MODAKAMS 

1. Take a plum size ball of the dough and roll into a thin poorie. 

2. Make a small ball  using a  tablespoon of the sweet filling (Pooranam) and place it in the centre of the poorie.

3. Gather the edges of the poorie like a bag with the filling inside, twist and press together to make a peak on top. 

4. Make modakams similarly till the entire dough and the filling are used up. 

5. Heat oil in a kadai. 

6. Gently slide the Modakams one by one into the hot oil. 

7. Decrease heat and fry on all sides turning them now and then using a perforated ladle. 

8. When they look cooked increase heat and fry till the Modakams become crisp and golden in colour. 

9. Remove the fried modakams using the perforated ladle and drain on a paper towel. 

Offer the scrumptious Fried Modakams to Lord Ganesha and enjoy sharing the prasaadam.

Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies-Eggless

Whenever we go to Carrefour for our Monthly Grocery Shopping, Kuttu would grab himself a box of Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from the bakery there. Though i bake cookies @ home, i have never tried these @ home. For this month's Baking Partner's Challenge, we got three Cookies Recipe.  Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies from Tina of Pinay's Cooking Corner, Cornflakes Cookies by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes and Home-made Oreo Cookies by Reeni of Cinnamon spice and Everything nice.

I immedidately decided to make my Kuttu's fav. Chewy Chocolate Cream cheese cookies. Oh my, they tasted awesome, Kuttu loved them. I baked Cornflakes Cookies too, which i will be posting in another 2 days. 

Ingredients

1 Cup + 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour

2 tbsp Unsweetened cocoa Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Stick (100gms), Unsalted Butter, @ Room Temperature

50gms Cream Cheese, @ Room Temperature

1/2 Cup granulated White Sugar

1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Flaxseed Meal + 1/4 Cup Warm Water

1 tbsp Cream

1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

40gms Bittersweet Chocolate, Melted and cooled

 Peanut Butter Choco Chips and Dark Chocolate Chips, 50gms each (or)

100gms Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Method

• Preheat Oven 190C. Line Baking Trays with Parchment Paper.
• Mix Flaxseed meal with1/4 Cup Warm Water and set aside.
• In a Medium Bowl, Sift together Flour, cocoa, Baking Soda and Salt.
• Using a Hand-held mixer, Beat  Butter, Cream Cheese, both the sugars together until fluffy.
• Scrap down the sides of the bowl, add Flax-seed Meal Water, heavy cream, vanilla  and blend.
• Now At low Speed, add the dry ingredients and combine. Add Melted Chocolate and chocolate chips and beat just until incorporated.. Cover Dough and refrigerated at-least 15 minutes or upto 2 hours.
• Scoop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches space in-between. Oil the spoon used for scooping the dough, makes the work pretty much easy.

• Bake for about 12-15 minutes, unitl the cookies are just set. Let the Cookies Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
• The Cookies are Crispy on the Outside and Chewy in the middle. So Take care not to over-bake them.

Notes

• Baking Time Differs from Oven to Oven. So Bake Accordingly.
• Cookies can be stored in an air-tight container for upto 3 days.