Kalakand is a mouth-watering Indian dessert that is famous among every household in the country. It is the Indian version of milk cake which is prepared using ingredients such as chenna and sweetened milk.
Kalakand, which is a sweet dish, is fudgy and extremely soft to eat. The creamy taste of kalakand is always successful in making people fall in love with it. The kalakand recipe is specially prepared in winter using dry fruits, which makes it more nutritious. It is mostly prepared for the festivals like Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi in the country. So, do you want to prepare this sweet-flavored fun for your loved ones? Are you looking for ways as to how to make kalakand? If yes, then you are at the right destination below. We have discussed the detailed recipe for kalakand dessert and how to make kalakand at home. So, then without any wait let's start!
Ingredients Required for Making Kalakand
Prep time: 10 minutes I Cook time: 30 minutes I Resting time: 8 minutes I Total time: 8 hours and 40 minutes I Serving: 15 pieces
Main ingredients
● 3 litres of milk
● 2 tablespoons of vinegar
● ¾ cup of sugar
● ¼ tablespoon of cardamom powder
● 2 tablespoons of nuts [finely chopped]
How to Prepare Chenna for Kalakand
Chenna is the main ingredient or one can say that it is a show maker for preparing kalakand at home. So, you must prepare it properly for a delightful experience. Below we have given a step-by-step recipe for preparing the chenna. Let us start!
Ingredients required for making chenna
● 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
● 6 cups of milk
Method
Step 1: Take a nonstick pan and add milk to it. Make sure that your milk is properly boiling. Once boiled, turn off the flame. Thereafter, place the pan aside.
Step 2: After 1 minute, add lemon juice in the boiled milk. Now stir the mixture.
Step 3: Allow the mixture to settle for 1 to 2 minutes so that the milk can curdle. The whey starts separating once the milk is curdled.
Step 4: Strain the whey with the help of a clean cloth. Bring all the sides together in a way that whey gets drained from the solid. This whey will be discarded.
Step 5: Place the cloth with the solid part or chenna under the water and wash it properly.
Step 6: Tie the cloth and hang the cloth containing the mixture for about 30 minutes. This will drain out the remaining particles.
Step 7: Now, chenna is ready.
Preparing Kalakand from Chenna and Condensed Milk
Preparing kalakand using condensed milk is one of the easiest recipes that you can follow. Here we have given some easy-to-follow steps that you should use for your kalakand recipe.
Prep time: 10 minutes I Cooking time: 10 minutes I Serving: 12
Ingredients for making kalakand from condensed milk
● 1 tablespoon of cardamom powder
● 50 grams of paneer or chenna
● 2 tablespoons of Everyday dairy whitener
● 1 tin of milkmaid condensed milk
Method
● Start the process by mashing the paneer or chenna properly and mixing the condensed milk it. In addition, add milk whitener to the mixture also.
● Now take a pan and add the mixture to it. Start heating the pan on medium flame and constantly stir it until your mixture becomes thickened in nature.
● Carefully remove the pan from the heat and spread it evenly on the plate.
● Garnish it with cardamom powder and let it cool. Once ready, cut the kalakand into different pieces.
Preparing Kalakand from Paneer
Kalakand recipe is one of the most loved desserts in India. Most households prepare this dish using paneer. So, let us discuss the recipe to prepare kalakand using it. It is as follows:
● Take a large pan and add at least two litres of milk to it.
● Allow the milk to boil properly and add two tablespoons of vinegar.
● Keep stirring the vinegar and milk until it curdles properly.
● Once curdled, drain off extra milk particles and rinse them. Remember that rinsing the mixture properly will reduce the sourness.
● Carefully squeeze the water and transfer the edible to a large plate.
● Mash the paneer in a fine and smooth texture. Let it sit for some time.
● Again, take a large pan and heat 1 litre of milk in it.
● Keep stirring the milk and allow it to boil.
● Now add paneer and mix it in the pan properly.
● Continue to cook the mixture on medium flame until the particles are toral separated from the pan.
● Add ¼ tablespoon of cardamom and mix well.
● Take a tray or a plate and add the mixture to it.
● Garnish the mixture with chopped nuts and press it gently on the dessert.
● Let it set for 8 hours or as per the requirements.
● Now cut the prepared dessert into pieces and serve.
● You can use kalakand garnished with nuts when it is refrigerated properly.
How to Make Soft Kalakand
One of the major problems that consumers face after preparing kalakand is that it hardens after some time. Now if you want to keep your dish soft then there are some tips that you should follow. Some of them are listed below:
● One should add a sufficient amount of water to milk to get a soft chenna. When you are preparing chenna for our kalakand, first take a pan and add milk to it. Now let the milk boil once one removes it from the flame and slowly add water to it. But remember that you have to add water just before adding lemon juice for curdling to achieve the desired results.
● Never remove too much water from your chenna. Once your chenna is ready the main step is squeezing water by tying it to a muslin cloth. So, do it carefully as removing too much water will make your chenna dry.
● Avoid overcooking your kalakand. Once your mixture for kalakand is ready you should avoid cooking it further as it can result in a chewy kalakand.
Storage Instructions
Kalakand dessert is milk-based, which contains products with high lactose-content ,so it should be refrigerated. One should note that you can get the best experience of kalakand when it is consumed fresh. If you are following homemade recipes for preparing kalakand at home, then it is advised that you should consume it within three days.
Expert Tips for Making Kalakand
Are you thinking about how to make kalakand at home? Here are a few tips that you can follow if you want to prepare kalakand at home for your loved ones:
● To prepare a high sugar-contented kalakand recipe, you can add sugar or consumed milk quantity of your choice.
● Panner and chenna are mainstream products that are used to make kalakand. But you can prepare kalakand using ricotta cheese also. One should note that cooking time may increase if you are using ricotta cheese as it contains more moisture.
● You can add flavours to the kalakand of your choice. Saffron is one of the popular flavours that can be used. Simply just warm one or two tablespoons of milk and add some strands of saffron to it. Let the mixture rest for one to five minutes and add the mixture to a pan. Mix the ingredients well with condensed milk to get the desired results.
Conclusion
Kalakand is an Indian dessert recipe that is fudgy in taste. Cardamom is one of the popular flavours, which is added to the dish. As you now have access to the detailed recipe on how to make kalakand and the ingredients list so you can use it to make this dish for your loved ones. There are several variations of flavors also available that you can use such as rose, mango and strawberry. So, what are you waiting for? Prepare this easy yet tasty kalakand at home for your loved one this winter season with all the sweetness in flavors and love in the hearts.
FAQs
What is kalakand called in English?
Kalakand is an Indian dessert that is prepared in several parts of the country. It is considered an Indian form of cheesecake, which is prepared using sweetened milk.
Where does kalakand?
Kalakand originated from the Alwar in Rajasthan. A sweetmeat maker of the city invented this dessert, which then became famous around the world. Koderma in Bihar is another version of this dessert.
What is the most loved sweet dish in India?
Desserts such as Kalakand, Kheer and Gulab Jamun are some of the most famous and loved desserts in the country.
Is kalakand healthy?
Kalakand is considered healthy as it contains paneer, which is a high source of protein. Other ingredients such as milk that can provide the required nutrition to the body also make it healthy for children and adults both.