Kalakand
A creamy, fudgy Indian milk sweet made from condensed milk and paneer, set in a cardamom-scented syrup. Ready in under an hour with minimal ingredients.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 12
- Calories
- 182
- Protein
- 5g
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
- 8 oz paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 4 whole green cardamom pods
- 2 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 2 tablespoon blanched sliced almonds
Instructions
- 1
Crumble the paneer with your fingertips into a bowl until it looks like wet sand with pea-sized and smaller pieces, about 1 minute.
- 2
Lightly crush each cardamom pod by placing it on the cutting board, laying the flat side of a knife blade on top, and pressing down firmly with the heel of your hand until the pod cracks open.
- 3
Pour 1 cup of water into a small saucepan, add the 4 crushed cardamom pods, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, about 3 minutes.
- 4
Add 0.5 cup sugar to the boiling water and stir with a spoon until the sugar completely dissolves and the liquid is clear, about 1 minute.
- 5
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the cardamom syrup cool to room temperature for 10 minutes, then strain out the cardamom pods using a fine-mesh strainer.
- 6
Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy-bottomed 9-inch skillet or non-stick pan over medium heat until it melts and smells fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 7
Add the crumbled paneer to the hot ghee and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, breaking up any large lumps, for 5 minutes until the paneer is warm and coated.
- 8
Pour the entire can of condensed milk into the pan with the paneer and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 4 minutes until well blended.
- 9
Add 0.5 cup regular milk to the mixture and stir constantly for 3 minutes until the texture is smooth and creamy, with no lumps visible.
- 10
Pour the cooled cardamom syrup into the pan and stir constantly for 2 minutes until the syrup is fully incorporated and the mixture is uniform.
- 11
Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring constantly for 8–10 minutes until the mixture is thick, pulls away from the sides of the pan slightly, and a spoon drawn through it leaves a trail that stays open for a moment.
- 12
Scatter 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds across the surface of the mixture and stir gently once to distribute them throughout.
- 13
Lightly grease a 6-inch × 6-inch square baking dish or container with a tiny bit of ghee, rubbing your finger or a paper towel across the entire inside surface.
- 14
Pour the hot kalakand mixture into the greased dish and smooth the top with the back of a spoon so it is level across the surface.
- 15
Set the dish on a counter away from direct sunlight and let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then cover it loosely with foil.
- 16
Refrigerate the covered dish for at least 2 hours, or until the kalakand is firm enough to cut cleanly without crumbling.
- 17
Run a thin knife around all four inside edges of the dish to loosen the kalakand, then turn the dish upside down onto a cutting board and gently tap the bottom until it slides out in one piece.
- 18
Using a sharp knife dipped in warm water, cut the kalakand into 12 equal squares by first slicing lengthwise down the middle, then crosswise in the middle, then cutting each quarter into 3 equal pieces; wipe the blade between cuts.
Tools you’ll need
- small saucepan
- fine-mesh strainer
- heavy-bottomed 9-inch skillet or non-stick pan
- wooden spoon
- 6-inch × 6-inch square baking dish or container
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- small bowl
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