Quick and easy Kalakand made with ricotta cheese and condensed milk. You can make this instant kalakand with a few simple steps in under 30 minutes. Perfect for gifting friends and family over Diwali.
About this Easy Kalakand recipe with condensed milk
I love making quick and easy Indian sweets, with no compromise in flavors - Just like this simple and Instant Kalakand made with 5 ingredients minus garnishes! It is one of my son's favorite sweets and he always tells me these taste better than store-bought ones. Looking for something else, here's a collection of 20+ Indian sweet recipes that will come handy to make this Diwali.
I learned this easy mithai recipe from a friend, who used to make Microwave Kalakand for dessert instantly. Using the same recipe, I cooked them in a pan.
Our cheat version for this delicious Indian milk cake fudge uses ricotta cheese, condensed milk, milk powder, and cardamom for flavoring. Cook them together for about 22-25 minutes and we have really easy peasy Kalakand pieces.
The popular dessert is moist and juicy and is soft set. Plus it has a delicate grainy texture. They have a shelf life of up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
If you have never tried Homemade Kalakand before, its time you try them this festive season and impress your family.
What is Kalakand?
Kalakand is a popular Indian dessert, traditionally made with milk, sugar, and cardamom. It is a labor of love and takes at least over an hour to prepare from scratch. This Indian sweet is hugely popular at the Mithai stores.
Why should you try this recipe?
5 Ingredients plus optional toppings.
Cooks in under 30 minutes
Make a fantastic gifting option for friends and family
They are really an easy Indian sweet, perfect for Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, and Holi
Dietary needs - Vegetarian and Gluten free. Can be made nut-free by leaving out nuts from the garnish.
Ingredients
Condensed milk - For this recipe, I have used Nestle carnation sweetened condensed milk. We are not using any added sugar in the recipe, as the condensed milk is already sweetened. This ingredient cannot be replaced.
Ricotta Cheese - I have used ricotta in this recipe. They are also known as whey cheese and are prepared similarly to paneer. You can buy them from your local grocery stores in the UK like Tesco, Marks and Spencers, Sainsburys, Asda, or Morrisons. If you can find ricotta, you can use fresh homemade paneer / chenna.
Milk Powder - It is popularly known as a dairy whitener in India. I add a portion of the milk powder to the recipe to speed up the process of cooking.
Cardamom - We always use powdered Green cardamom for flavouring the mithai. If you like, you can also use saffron.
Ghee - You will only need to add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the milk sweet at about halftime. While ghee is optional, they make a difference in the texture and the sweet does not stick to the pan as you cook.
Toppings - Garnishes are optional. I like to add chopped pistachio nuts and rose petals to the kalakand. However, when you are making for little children, leave out the toppings.
How to make Kalakand with condensed milk step by step?
Heat a heavy bottom wide non-stick pan. Add the ricotta cheese, condensed milk, and milk powder.
Cook over medium flame, stirring continuously using a whisk or a flat spatula. About 10 minutes.
Add ghee and cardamom and mix. Continue to stir for another 12-15 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick and starts leaving the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.
Line the tray with parchment paper. Brush it with a little ghee. Transfer the kalakand mixture to the tray, and spread it with a spatula.
Garnish with toppings. I chose to add some pistachio and rose petals.
Place the kalakand tray in the fridge and allow it to set. About 2-3 hours. Cut to rectangles and serve.
Storage
Kalakand tastes best when it is consumed within 2 days. However, it keeps well for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Tips to make Kalakand at home
- Always use a wide open non-stick bottom pan for making the sweet.
- Apply a little ghee to the spatula and the knife when you spread the milk fudge mixture and cut them. By doing so, the mixture may not stick to them.
- Do not cook for too long, as they can turn out hard and chewy.
- Stirring continuously is the key. DO NOT let the dessert cook unattended.
If you love this recipe, you will also love these easy Diwali sweets
- Rava Kesari
- Instant Kesar Peda
- Mango Coconut Ladoo
- Milk Powder Barfi
- Maladu ( Roasted gram ladoo)
- Mango Shrikhand
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
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Quick and Easy Kalakand recipe below
Ingredients
- 397 g Condensed milk 1 can
- 450 g Ricotta Cheese 1¾ cup
- 62 g Milk Powder ½ cup
- ½ teaspoon Ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon ghee
Garnishes (optional)
- 2 teaspoon Nuts
- 1 teaspoon Rose petals
Instructions
- Heat a heavy bottom wide non stick pan. Add the ricotta cheese, condensed milk and milkpowder.397 g Condensed milk, 450 g Ricotta Cheese, 62 g Milk Powder
- Cook over medium flame, stirring continously using a whisk or a flat spatula. About 10 minutes.
- Add ghee and cardamom and mix. Continue to stir for another 12-15 minutes, until the mixture becomes thick and starts leaving the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.1 tablespoon ghee, ½ teaspoon Ground cardamom
- Line the tray with parchment paper. Brush it with a little ghee. Transfer the kalakand mixture to the tray, spread it with spatula.
- Garnish with toppings. I chose to add some pistachio and rose petals.2 teaspoon Nuts, 1 teaspoon Rose petals
- Place the kalakand tray to the fridge and allow it to set. About 2-3 hours. Cut to rectangles and serve.
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