“I remember diyas (small oil lamps), new clothes and much delicious food during Diwali – and sweets, always sweets,” recalls Sneha Shekar. “And one of the tastiest and easiest to make is milk cake.”
Sneha explains that Diwali is an ancient Hindu celebration signifying the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. It is the spiritual victory of Dharma over Adharma. The date changes from year to year since it follows the Hindu lunar calendar. This year it fell on Oct. 20th; next year it will be on Nov. 8th.
Though born in India, Sneha’s recollections of Diwali are all from Canada. She and her family came here when she was 7. Her most vivid memories of the celebrations are from Markham where she grew up. “My parents would light many diyas and place them on the front porch, giving off a beautiful light. My sister and I would wear new clothes at the big dinner attended by family and friends. At the end of the evening, we were allowed to light sparklers in the backyard – it was magical,” she says.
Since Diwali also signifies the start of a new year it is important to bring good energy into the house and leave bad energy behind. It is an opportunity to share prosperity and good fortune. There is an exchange of gifts and a whole day’s worth of visits to the homes of friends and family. “And it is customary to take sweet treats as gifts to the homes we visit. Sweets are considered symbols of prosperity,” explains Sneha. She recalls her mom preparing many elaborate dishes but remembers one of the most delicious desserts was one of the easiest recipes to make – milk cake, or Kalakand.
There are just four ingredients. (Some recipes call for only three.) Sneha’s is not too sweet and has the perfect hint of cardamom. While her mom is the baker in the family, Sneha decided this year to make a milk cake on her own. What I sampled was her first milk cake. “I FaceTimed my mom while putting it all together – it ended up being a very social experience,” Sneha says.
And it tastes great.
She and her husband Ashton moved to South Leaside almost two years ago. She explains that he was raised in Brampton and she in Markham – Leaside was pretty much in the middle. “We wanted to be in Toronto for work and to be close to friends – Leaside is ideal in that regard and more importantly it is family-friendly.” She adds they have great neighbours and a playground, library, park and schools literally at their doorstep. Their son Ravi was born last year and turned one on Diwali.
With all the exciting changes over the past few years, life for Sneha has become pretty busy. She shared that “a hectic schedule makes it difficult to keep up with traditions, but simple recipes – like the one for milk cake – keep me connected.”
Milkcake
375g Malai paneer (1 block, typically)
1 can condensed milk
1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp rose essence (optional)
1/4 cup chopped pistachios or cashews (optional)
Bring paneer to room temperature and crumble to pea size crumbs and set aside.
Grease a small pan (8 by 8 square pan or 8” circular pan) and set aside. You can also line with parchment paper instead of greasing.
Heat a non-stick pan to medium heat and add ghee to melt. Once melted, add in crumbled paneer and soften in heat until texture softens, around 2 minutes.
Add in condensed milk and continuously stir. Condensed milk paneer mixture should melt and then reduce as it cooks. Keep stirring mixture until it leaves the sides of the pan and starts to ball up. Do not overcook! Remove from heat.
Add in cardamom powder and rose essence (if using) and mix well.
Pour mixture into pan. Garnish with nuts if using. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
Once chilled, you can cut milk cake into bite size pieces. Serve cold or bring to room temperature for a softer texture. Enjoy!
