Diwali is almost here and I can’t wait to indulge in some of my favorite mithai or Indian sweets! If you are still undecided on what to make this Diwali, here’s a quick and easy traditional sweet treat for you.
Kalakand is a popular Indian sweet – essentially a milk cake, it has a light grainy texture, it’s both crumbly and fudgy and melts in your mouth! To make it the traditional way, milk is curdled with lemon or vinegar and the curdled milk solids (known as ‘chena’) are cooked down with sugar and flavored with cardamom. Kalakand can also be made with paneer and sugar.
However, this short and quick recipe for kalakand is made from ingredients you can easily access at your local Swiss supermarket. Get hold of condensed milk, milk powder and ricotta cheese and get set to make your kalakand!
There is no major prep required, all you need to do is put in a little effort to stir the ingredients in a pan on the stovetop until they come together to form a fudge.
Ingredients
To make this recipe, we will need:
- 425 grams ricotta cheese
- 400 grams sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons milk powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- A pinch of cardamom powder
- Slivered almonds and pistachios for the garnish
Step by Step Recipe Instructions
- Add the ricotta cheese and the condensed milk to a heavy-bottom saucepan.
- Add the cardamom powder and start to cook on low to medium heat. Mix well with a silicone spatula, ensure there are no lumps.
- Continue to cook, stirring regularly, for around 12-14 minutes until the ricotta starts to thicken and form a mass that comes off from the pan or away from the edges.
- Now add 2 tablespoons of milk powder and stir again, cooking the mixture for a further 5 minutes.
- The mixture should resemble more of a mass by now, and less of a paste.
- Once it forms a thick mass, turn it out into a greased and lined square or rectangular baking tin.
- Garnish with the chopped almonds and pistachios and let it refrigerate for a couple of hours. The kalakand will set as it cools. Once set, you can cut it into pieces, using a knife greased in ghee.
Kalakand tastes best when flavored with a little cardamom powder, but feel free to add flavorings as you like. You can flavor it with rose water or vanilla extract, or if you want something a little unconventional, add a little cocoa powder to make chocolate kalakand. And if you try any other flavour combinations, let us know!
Disclaimer: Opinions and methods expressed are solely of the writer. Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any obligation or liability which may arise from the content.
