Kalakand

Diwali is notorious for being a festival of sweets as much as it is a Festival of Lights. It is considered good luck to give something sweet to friends and family, so the week prior to Diwali,  all kinds of sugar-coated deliciousness are being rustled up in kitchens across Indian homes. As we have reduced eating foods that have lots of sugar, I made only one sweet for my family and that is Kalakand. I care about my friends’ health too so I opt to give boxes of dry fruits, nuts, diyas/candles and homemade spice mix instead of the traditional Indian sweets.

I published Kalakand back in November 2014 under the name ricotta cheese burfi. It’s really delicious and I am updating the recipe by cutting back on sugar which means I increased the amount of ricotta cheese to condensed milk.

Kalakand is a soft milk based sweet with a hint of rosewater and cardamom. It is made with concentrated milk called khoya and fresh paneer. They are mixed and simmered together with sugar to a luxurious thick, firmness. The mixture is cooled, then cut into squares and garnished with pistachios. This traditional process of making kalakand takes some time and usually, this is the type of kalakand you will find in Indian sweet shops. To speed up the process I use ricotta cheese and condensed milk. Just two ingredients. Whether it is cooked in a traditional way or in an instant way, it has the same rich taste and grainy texture. It is always a hit with my family and I make it every year on Diwali.

This kalakand recipe is easy to make, tasty and not too filling like most desserts. It may seem crumbly around the edges and it’s because I used less condensed milk and more ricotta. You can still manage to cut out nice square pieces and also serve it to guests. It stays fresh for up to a week when refrigerated in a sealed box. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Wishing my Indian friends a very happy and safe Diwali! May your homes and life be filled with the lamps of light and positivity.

If you are looking for more festive sweets then do check out my other posts of rasgulla, gulab jamun, besan burfi, naturally sweetened burfi, squash halwa, besan ladoo, urad daal pinni, kaju katli, and aval ladoo.