Kalakand

Sweets made with milk which are soft, moist and rich are liked by most. The kind of colourful and tasty sweets lined up in a sweet shop always attracts everyone. But they can be quite expensive to buy and are mostly reserved for special occasions. But what if these kinds of sweets can be made at home with simple ingredients. One such sweet is ‘kalakand’, it is one of my favourite sweets and I absolutely love making it. They turn out to be so moist and are very fresh when made at home. They have to be made ahead of time because it needs some time to set and tastes better that way.

Kalakand

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Soft moist milk sweet, a sure crowd pleaser

Author: Vindhya Desai

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 15-16 2" squares of kalakand

Ingredients

• 1 Tin or 400 Gm condensed milk (it is usually a 397 gm tin)
• 225 Gm paneer/Indian cottage cheese
• 2 Tbsp regular granulated white sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk powder
• 7-8 powdered/pounded elaichi/cardamom
• 1 Tbsp warm milk
• 7-8 strands of saffron
• 12-15 pistachios for decoration

Method

1. Pour and empty the contents of condensed milk tin into a thick bottomed and deep pan
2. In a small bowl, soak the saffron strands in a tbsp of warm milk
3. Grate paneer using a fine grater
4. Add grated paneer and milk powder with condensed milk and mix well. Keep this pan on a low flame start mixing it
5. Add saffron along with the milk. Mix well
6. Add sugar and mix it in
7. Meanwhile, chop up the pistachios into rough pieces and keep aside
8. Line a plate or any tray with parchment paper and lightly grease it with butter or oil
9. Keep an eye on the mixture when it starts to thicken
10. Once it starts to thicken and starts coming off the surface of the pan, add elaichi powder and mix well
11. When it becomes slightly thicker remove it from the flame. A good way to test it, take a pea sized amount of the mixture and test it between your fingers when cooled, if it does not stick then it is done. It took around 15-18 minutes for me to get the right consistency
12. Pour all the contents into the greased pan and spread evenly
13. Flatten it with the back of spoon lightly
14. Garnish with chopped pistachios on top as you like
15. Keep it in refrigerator for a few hours. Overnight is best
16. Cut 2" squares or any shape you like
17. Serve chilled and store extra pieces in refrigerator

Notes

Evaporated milk can be used instead of condensed milk but more sugar is required and can be adjusted as per taste

If saffron is not available add only elaichi. Saffron adds a nice colour and a unique flavour. Avoid using the artifiical ones

Paneer can be homemade or store bought. It can be grated in a food processor. I use my handheld box grater

Always keep stirring the mixture when it is on the flame. Do not allow it to stick to the bottom of the pan, so keep scraping it off as it thickens

Any other nut can be used for garnishing. Slivered or chopped almonds will make a nice replacement to pistachios

Milk powder adds a creamy texture to kalakand and also acts as thickening agent

Greasing the tray is always useful because this is a moist sweet and might stick to the tray

Ensure the mixture thickens to right consistency but it can also be enjoyed like halwa by the spoonfuls

Allowing it to set in the refrigerator is very important. Only then kalakand forms a nice dry layer/skin on top and will be moist inside

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 Stepwise:

1. Pour and empty the contents of condensed milk tin into a thick bottomed and deep pan
    
   

2. In a small bowl, soak the saffron strands in a tbsp of warm milk
   
   

3. Grate paneer using a fine grater
   
   

4. Add grated paneer and milk powder with condensed milk and mix well. Keep this pan on a low flame start mixing it
   
   

5. Add saffron along with the milk. Mix well
    
   

6. Add sugar and mix it in
   
   

7. Meanwhile, chop up the pistachios into rough pieces and keep aside
   
   

8. Line a plate or any tray with parchment paper and lightly grease it with butter or oil
   
   

9. Keep an eye on the mixture when it starts to thicken
     
   

10. Once it starts to thicken and starts coming off the surface of the pan, add elaichi powder and mix well
     
    

11. When it becomes slightly thicker remove it from the flame. A good way to test it, take a pea sized amount of the mixture and test it between your fingers when cooled, if it does not stick then it is done. It took around 15-18 minutes for me to get the right consistency
    
    

12. Pour all the contents into the greased pan and spread evenly
     
    

13. Flatten it with the back of spoon lightly
    
    

14. Garnish with chopped pistachios on top as you like
      
    

15. Keep it in refrigerator for a few hours. Overnight is best
    
    

16. Cut 2" squares or any shape you like
     
    

17. Serve chilled and store extra pieces in refrigerator