Kalakand Recipe (with paneer and condensed milk)

Kalakand is a delicious milk based Indian sweet with hints of cardamom and topped up with crunchy pistachios or almonds. This gluten free dessert is known for its soft, moist & grainy texture and is especially prepared on festivals like Navratri, Diwali or Holi.

Traditionally it is made by slow cooking milk with sugar but in this post I have shared its easy & instant version with paneer & condensed milk. It has the same succulent taste & can be prepared in less than 20 minutes.

We all keep looking for quick sweets & snacks recipes for festive occasions and with Diwali just around the corner, this is a perfect dessert to indulge in with friends & family. You can even have it during Navratri fast or vrat too.

The kalakand recipe shared here is:

Gluten free
Vegetarian
Has no milk powder
Has no khoya or mawa
Requires just 2 ingredients (mainly)

Kalakand Ingredients:

Paneer: It is basically Indian cottage cheese made by curdling milk with acidic medium like lemon juice or vinegar. To make this recipe, you can use store bought or homemade paneer. Though if you have time, I would totally recommend using homemade fresh paneer for juicier & softer texture.

Condensed Milk: As we will not add any sugar from our side, please use sweetened condensed milk. I have used Nestle Milkmaid here but you can use any brand of your choice.

Sometimes the colour of kalakand can turn out off-white or light brown instead of white. This depends on the quality of condensed milk used or if its mixture if cooked for a long time.

Aromatics: Kalakand’s taste is enhanced manifolds by delicate aroma of cardamom (elaichi) or rose water. You can use either or both in the recipe. Apart from them, saffron strands and kewra water can also be used. Just remember to add them towards the end of cooking, as if cooked for too long they begin to lose their fragrance.

Nuts: Pistachios, almonds are added as garnishing and add wonderful crunchy texture to this dessert. To decorate kalakand, you can even use edible silver leaf, saffron strands or fresh rose petals.

I learnt this recipe on 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 so long to cook but this recipe is a total game changer. It is simple to make & takes such less time that even a novice can make it.

Youtube Video:

I have also shared a video for this same recipe. You can refer to it while making kalakand incase of any doubt.

Hope you would like this yummy easy quick kalakand recipe. Other Indian sweets recipes you might like to try:

Ingredients: (Makes 15-16 pieces)

Condensed Milk (sweetened) – 400 grams
Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) – 350 to 400 grams
Chopped Pistachios – 3 tbsp
Oil or Ghee – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Green Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp

Notes:

If you are using store bought paneer, squeeze excess water from it before using. More the moisture in paneer, longer it will take the kalakand mixture to thicken up.
In the ingredients, the quantity of paneer is mentioned as ‘350 to 400 gms’. This is because the amount can vary slightly depending on the moisture in paneer & also on the quality of condensed milk. Start with 350 grams first & add more if required.

Directions

Step 1:
If you are using store bought paneer skip this step. To make it from scratch, follow this step. Take 2 litres of full fat or whole milk in a heavy bottomed pan & bring it to boil. Once the milk comes to boil, add 2-3 tsp lemon juice or vinegar gradually. At one point the milk will start to curdle & paneer will get separated.

Sieve the paneer on a colander lined with muslin cloth. Rinse with chilled water & let it cool down for half an hour. Remove the excess water from it by twisting the muslin cloth. We will use this paneer to make kalakand (For more detailed method, check out homemade paneer recipe).

Step 2:
Take a tray or plate & rub 1 tsp oil on it (You can even line the tray with parchment paper and then brush oil over it). We will transfer kalakand mixture in it to set. Greasing the tray prevents the pieces from sticking to the base. Keep it aside.

Step 3:
Crumble the paneer using hands or fork. The crumbled paneer is easier to mix & gives a nice grainy texture. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a kadhai or non-stick pan & add 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 and start mixing with a silicon spatula or wooden spoon. Keep the flame to medium low while mixing.

Do not cook on high flame and keep stirring to prevent the 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 & dark in colour.

(Tip: As mentioned 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 back of a spoon. Sprinkle chopped nuts like pistachios or almonds.

Step 6:
Chill it in refrigerator for 2-3 hours to set completely. You can leave it overnight in fridge too.

Step 7:
Cut the kalakand into square pieces using a sharp knife & transfer on serving plate by lifting carefully with a spatula. Serve it chilled.

Tips:

Storage Instruction: It can easily be stored for 4-5 days in refrigerator in air tight box.
Apply some oil on the knife before cutting. It gives cleaner cuts & prevents kalakand from sticking to the knife.
Apart from cardamom, saffron strands (dissolved in warm milk), rose water or kewra can also be used as aromatics in Kalakand.
You can experiment by creating different flavours by adding rose syrup or gulkand for rose kalakand, cocoa powder for chocolate kalakand or mango puree to make mango kalakand.
Avoid cooking the kalakand mixture for too long as otherwise it can turn out chewy.

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Do try this easy quick kalakand recipe & share your feedback/pics with us on Instagram, Facebook or you can use #kuchpakrahahai. Your feedback & suggestions are welcome.

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(6 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)