Kalakand is a delicious milk based Indian sweet with hints of cardamom (elaichi), rose water & topped up with chopped almonds and pistachios. It has soft, moist & grainy texture and is especially prepared on festivals like Navratri, Diwali & Holi. This is a gluten free dessert recipe.
Traditionally it is made by slow cooking milk with sugar but in this post Instant Kalakand recipe has been shared. It has the same succulent taste & can be prepared in less than 20 minutes. We all keep looking for Diwali special sweets & snacks recipes that are easy & quick to make. With festival around the corner, this is a perfect recipe to prepare & indulge in with your friends & family.
The basic two ingredients which you require for making this Kalakand are – condensed milk & paneer (Indian cottage cheese). Besides cardamom (elaichi), some people also use rose water or kewda for fragrance. I have used chopped pistachios & almonds for garnishing here. Sometimes the cooking time or colour of kalakand may vary depending on the quality of condensed milk. I have used here Nestle Milkmaid condensed milk. For best results, I would recommend using homemade fresh paneer but if you are in hurry you can use store bought too.
I learnt this recipe on my recent visit to my mom’s place. To be honest, I am more into baking & generally don’t make Indian sweets much as they take longer cooking time & ingredients like khoya (which are not easily available in market these days) but this recipe is a total game changer. It is so easy to make & takes such short cooking time that I would not mind making it frequently.
Other Indian sweets recipes you might like to try:
I have also shared a Youtube video for this same recipe. You can even refer to it while trying out this Kalakand recipe. If you like it, please do subscribe to our Youtube channel “Kuch Pak Raha Hai“ too 🙂
Watch the Video:
Hope you would like this yummy quick & easy Kalakand recipe!!
List of Ingredients: (Makes 15-16 pieces)
- Condensed Milk (Milkmaid) – 400 grams
- Paneer(Indian Cottage Cheese) – 300 to 350 grams
- Chopped Pistachios – 3 tbsp
- Oil/Ghee – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
- Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp
Notes:
- You can use store bought paneer but I would recommend using home made fresh paneer as it yields juicier & softer Kalakand.
- Squeeze the water from paneer before using it. More the moisture in the paneer, longer it will take Kalakand mixture to thicken up.
- You can also use Rose water or Kewda for additional aroma in Kalakand.
- In the ingredients list, the quantity of paneer is mentioned as ‘300 to 350 grams‘. This is because the amount slightly varies depending on the moisture in paneer & also on the thickness of condensed milk. We will start with 300 grams first & if required, will increase the quantity accordingly.
Steps To Prepare:
Step 1:
If you are using store bought paneer skip this step. For making homemade paneer follow this step. Take 2 litres of milk in a heavy bottomed pan & bring it to boil (This will yield approximately 300 grams of paneer). Once the milk has come to boil, add 2-3 tsp lemon juice or vinegar gradually. At one point the milk will start to curdle & Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) will get separated.
Sieve the paneer on a colander, rinse with chilled water & let it cool down for half an hour. Rinse the excess water from it by twisting the muslin cloth. We will use this paneer in making Kalakand. For checking out the detailed method to make paneer at home, check out this post.
Step 2:
Take a tray or plate & rub 1tsp oil or ghee on it. We will pour kalakand mixture on it to set finally & this will prevent the pieces from sticking to the base. Keep this greased plate aside.
Step 3:
Crumble the paneer with hands. The crumbled paneer is easier to mix & gives a nice grainy texture to Kalakand. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a kadhai or pan & add this crumbled paneer to it. Sauté for 20-30 seconds only. Don’t overcook at this step as we do not want the paneer to harden up.
Step 4:
Add condensed milk to the above pan. Start mixing using a silicon spatula or wooden spoon. Keep the flame to medium low while mixing.
Non Stick Kadhai: https://amzn.to/3lZubpl
Never turn the flame to high or stop stirring to prevent the kalakand mixture from burning. After 5 minutes add cardamom powder to it. It takes approx 7-8 minutes for the mixture to come together. Don’t overcook it as this can make kalakand dry & will turn its colour darker.
As I have mentioned above in notes also, if after 7 minutes the mixture still seems to runny increase the amount of paneer little by little, till it becomes thick & stops sticking to the walls of pan.
Step 5:
Transfer this mixture in greased tray & level it with spatula or spoon. Sprinkle chopped pistachios & almonds.
Chill it in refrigerator for 2-3 hours to set completely. You can leave it overnight in fridge too.
Step 6:
Cut the kalakand pieces in square & transfer them on serving plate by lifting the piece gently with help of spatula or flat spoon.
Tip: Apply some oil on the knife before cutting. It gives cleaner cuts & prevents kalakand from sticking to the knife.
Serve it chilled. Kalakand can be stored for 4-5 days in refrigerator in air tight box.
Do try this easy quick kalakand recipe & share your feedback/pics with us on Instagram or Facebook. You can also use the hashtag #kuchpakrahahai. Your feedback & suggestions are welcome.
Bon Appétit!! Festive wishes to you & your family 🙂
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