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Traditional Indian kalakand sweet slices (Indian milk cake or cheesecake) garnished with nuts.
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5 from 41 votes

Kalakand Sweet Recipe | Indian Milk Cake

Kalakand is a soft and creamy, popular Indian sweet made with milk and flavored with saffron or cardamom. Kalakand sweet is prepared during Indian festivals like Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Raksha Bandhan.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time22 minutes
Total Time42 minutes
Course: Desserts, sweets
Cuisine: ajmeri, Indian, north indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 16
Calories: 243kcal
Author: Kushi

Equipment

  • Pan
  • Cake pan or bread loaf pan

Ingredients

To Make Paneer (If using store-bought paneer or ricotta cheese, then use 2 cups tightly packed and crumbled)

  • 1 gallon Whole milk
  • ¼ cup Lemon juice
  • Salt , a pinch

Other Ingredients

  • 1 can Sweetened condensed milk
  • ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
  • 5 to 6 strands Saffron
  • 2 tablespoon Pistachios , roasted and crushed (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon Cashews , roasted and crushed (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon Almond , roasted and crushed (optional)

Instructions

Prepare Paneer or Chena (If you are using store-bought paneer or ricotta cheese, ignore this section)

  • Add milk to a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and bring it to a slow boil. Once the milk boils, switch off the flame.
    1 gallon Whole milk
  • Add lemon juice little by little and slowly stir till the milk curdles. Do not add everything at once because the amount you require may vary.
    ¼ cup Lemon juice
  • If the milk does not curdle or separate, then add 1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice. Let this stand for about 2 to 4 minutes.
  • Place cheesecloth in a colander and strain the paneer-whey mixture (chena) through the cheesecloth. Rinse the fresh chena with cold water to remove the lemon flavor.
  • Bring the ends of the cheesecloth together and tie with a knot and then hang it to your kitchen faucet for about 15 minutes to let all the whey drain through it. (Do not squeeze out all the water, as you need some moistness in your paneer if you want your kalakand to be soft and moist)
  • Open the knot, season the paneer or chena with a pinch of salt(optional).
    Salt

How to make kalakand with condensed milk?

  • In a thick-bottomed pan or kadai, add condensed milk and the crumbled paneer or chena prepared above and mix well. Check the sweetness now. If you like it to be sweeter, add sugar at this point.
    1 can Sweetened condensed milk
  • Keep the flame on medium to medium-low and stir this mixture often so that it does not get stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  • At first, the mixture will be thin, but as you cook, it will thicken and starts leaving the sides of the pan and form like a mass. At this point, add cardamom powder and saffron strands and mix well. Switch off the flame. (It may take anywhere between 10 to 13 minutes approx). See that the mixture is moist and not dry.
    ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder, 5 to 6 strands Saffron

Setting Kalakand

  • Transfer the kalakand mixture to the greased pan or plate.
  • Tap the pan so that the mixture spreads evenly. You can also use a spoon or spatula to make sure it spreads evenly.
  • Sprinkle the crushed dry fruits and gently press with a spoon. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours, as this sweet tastes best when served chilled.
    2 tablespoon Pistachios, 2 tablespoon Cashews, 2 tablespoon Almond
  • Once set, cut into pieces and serve. Else, keep it refrigerated.

Notes

  • If you are not able to slice kalakand, don't worry. You can eat this like halwa with a spoon 🙂 It tastes great anyway.
  • The time it takes for the mixture to thicken may vary depending on the pan's thickness and the flame at which you simmer. The mixture should not be dry. If you overcook it, then kalakand will be chewy. 
  • I like this mildly sweet. For sweeter kalakand, add sugar or additional condensed milk to the recipe. 
  • For soft kalakand, never overcook the mixture. Once the mixture forms a mass and leaves the side of the pan, simply turn off the flame and set the kalakand. Overcooking will make your kalakand dry and chewy.

Instant Kalakand

  • Kalakand with Store-bought paneer: Nothing tastes better than kalakand made using fresh and soft paneer or chena. But if you are short of time or want to make instant kalakand then you can use store-bought paneer.To make kalakand with store-bought paneer, soak the block in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes and grate or crumble it and use it in the recipe.
  • Kalakand with Ricotta cheese: Add the ricotta cheese and condensed milk and cook until the mixture becomes thick and leave the side of the pan. The time it takes to reach the final stage may be a little more as the moisture content is higher in ricotta cheese.
    But this is instant as you save time making the fresh chena.

Store and Freeze

Kalakand is a milk-based dessert and tastes best when consumed fresh. Any leftovers must be refrigerated and consumed in 3 to 4 days OR Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and store in an air-tight conatiner and freeze it for 2 months. Thaw overnight before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 483mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 455IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 367mg | Iron: 0.3mg