Kalakand

Adapted from http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/?p=949

Milk - 1/2 gallon
Turbinado / Raw Sugar - 1/2 cup
Lemon  - 1/2
Water - 2 tbsp
Makes around 10 kalakand pieces
Boil half the quantity of milk (1/4 gallon) in a heavy bottomed pan. When the milk comes to boil, reduce the flame, stir occasionally and cook to thicken the milk.

In the meanwhile, sqeeze juice out of the lemon and sieve the juice so that it has no solid particles. Mix it with 2 tbsp of water and keep aside.

Boil the other half milk (remaining 1/4 gallon) in a  pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

As the milk comes to a boil, add the lemon juice gradually and stir the milk. When the curd starts separating from the whey, reduce the flame to medium low and cook for 5 minutes.

Then drain the whey using a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a cotton handkerchief.

Wrap the paneer in the cloth, and rinse under cold water for atleast 3 minutes, and squeeze well. Remove from the cheesecloth and crumble the paneer and keep aside.

Check the milk which is being thickened. Once the milk has reduced to 1/4th of original quantity and has become very thick like a rabri consistency, add the crumbled paneer and sugar. Cook stirring continuously till the mixture resembles a soft dough. This should take around 45 minutes.

When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and becomes a lump, remove from heat.

Pour it on a plate and cool and cut into squares. Garnish with sliced pistachio on top and serve.