Make Instant Kalakand for festivals and special occasions without condensed milk.
This quick Kalakand recipe allows preparation in just 15 minutes using fresh paneer, milk powder, and cream.
About the recipe
Kalakand a milk-based dessert, that is soft and grainy in texture, a variation from Milk Burfi. It's a traditional North Indian sweet but now it is popular in other Indian states also.
You can make this quick and simple Instant Kalanad for Diwali, Raksha Bandhan and other festive occasions. You can also consume it on your religious fasting days.
Difference between Milk Cake, Burfi and Kalakand
Kalakand is a soft delicate juicy dessert made with reduced milk and flavoured with cardamom. For kalakand we curdle the milk first, seperate the chenna and then cook chenna with more milk till it is gooey and grainy.
Milk cake is more grainy than Kalakand and has brownish gradients texture. It is made with curdled milk. To make milk cake we don't separate chenna and the curdles milk is cooked till it is grainy and gets brownish color in the lower layer. It is then transferred in container, then set for couple of hrs.
Burfi is made with reduced milk solids or mawa or milk powder is firmer than Kalakand and Milk Cake. There are various flavour variation in Kalakand and Burfi but not in milk cake.
Traditional way of making Kalakand
Making kalakand in a traditional way is a long process where we boil milk on a slow flame till it starts to thicken. Then we add citric acid or alum to it to separate the water and milk solids. Once most of the whey evaporates, the mixture is cooked to desired grainy consistency and poured in a greased pan to set. But, these days we all want fresh home cooked food/sweets without the pain of sweating in kitchen quick shortcuts come to our rescue.
This is a real quick recipe that shortens the long process of Kalakand making to just 15 mins.
Ingredients to make Instant Kalakand
Fresh Paneer/Chenna- Fresh paneer in the recipe shortens the cooking time. We can make paneer at home very easily and it is also not a time consuming process. You can use store bought block of paneer also but I prefer using fresh paneer for better results.
Milk Powder, Fresh cream (Amul or any other good brand), Sugar (adjust as per your taste).
In this post I have covered making Kalakand without condensed milk. You can also use condensed milk instead of fresh cream and milk powder. Check the notes section in recipe card.
How to make fresh Chenna/Paneer at Home
- To make fresh paneer, boil 1 l of milk. After the first boil add 1 tbsp vinegar/lime or lemon juice to it. Give it a stir and switch off the gas.
- The milk will start to curdle. Let it cool a bit.
- Strain the paneer and whey.
- To make kalakand don't strain all the whey from paneer. If the paneer is dry then kalakand will not have the moist texture.
Check my detailed post here How to make Paneer at Home.
How to make Instant Kalakand
- Take a non-stick pan or heavy bottomed pan and combine all the ingredients. Switch on the flame and keep it to medium.
- Start cooking the mixture on low flame, stirring continuously.
- When you start cooking the mixture the mixture will be watery as sugar starts melting.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan.
- Don't overcook the mixture, if the mixture gets thick you won't get the texture of kalakand it will be more of burfi. Check my post Chenna Burfi
- Kalanad is very soft, creamy and grainy after setting. There should be some moisture in it.
- Once you get the desired consistency of mixture, top with chopped nuts of your choice.Press the nuts lightly to the mixture so that they stick to the top.
- Let it sit in refrigerator 3-4 hrs before cutting into squares.
Stepwise pics on how to make Instant Kalakand recipe
Storage and Shelf Life
Kalanad is a milk product so the shelf life is limited. Refrigerate Kalakand in an airtight container and finish it within 2-3 days.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Kalakand in tart shells or in mini dessert cups topped with dry fruits or any fruit compote like mango/strawberry or rabri. Or, serve it topped with mixed nuts crumble.
To make mixed nut crumble, coarsely grind mixed nuts like Almonds, Cashew nuts, pistachios, mix it with melted ghee, dry roast for few seconds. When it cools add powdered sugar.
Kalakand recipe variations
More Indian Mithai/dessert recipes for festivals
Kesar Pista Burfi, Lauki Badam Burfi, Crispy Jalebis, Gulab Jamun, Chawal ki Kheer , Coconut Ladoos , Coconut Paan Ladoo, Chocolate Almond Ladoo, Rava Coconut Ladoo
Find the collective recipes here---Collection of Desserts for Festivals
Collection of 100+ Diwali Recipes
Collection of No Onion No Garlic Recipes
Recipe Card
Instant Kalakand Recipe
Equipment
- Heavy bottom Pan
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fresh Paneer
- ¼ cup Milk Powder
- ½ cup Sugar or adjust as per taste
- 200 g Fresh Cream
- 1 tsp Cardamom Powder
Instructions
- Take a non-stick pan or heavy bottomed pan and combine all the ingredients.
- Switch on the flame and keep it to medium.Start cooking the mixture on low flame, stirring continuously.
- When you start cooking the mixture the mixture will be watery as sugar starts melting.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan.
- Don't overcook the mixture, if the mixture gets thick you won't get the texture of kalakand it will be more of burfi. There should be some moisture in it.
- Once you get the desired consistency of mixture, transfer to a dish lined with parchment/butter paper.
- Top with chopped nuts of your choice. Press the nuts lightly to the mixture so that they stick to the top.
- Let it sit in refrigerator 3-4 hrs before cutting into squares.
Notes
Do try this quick and easy Instant Kalakand recipe for your special occasions you and your loved ones are going to love it.
Also, whenever you try the recipe, I will love to hear/share your feedback or any queries in the comment section below. I will try to answer your queries as soon as possible.
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