This Easy Kalakand recipe makes soft, creamy milk fudge perfumed with cardamom and adorned with chopped nuts for a satisfying sweet treat, ready in 25 minutes.
3tablespoonschopped pistachios and almondsfor garnish (see notes to customize)
Instructions
Reduce & Thicken Ricotta Mix
In a large nonstick skillet, combine ricotta cheese, condensed milk, sugar and milk powder. Mix well. Turn on the heat to medium.
Simmer the mix while stirring every minute. Continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the ricotta mix reduces down to half.
When the mix reduces down to a fudge-like consistency, stir in ghee and cardamom powder. Continue to stir and simmer for 2 minutes.
Kalakand is ready when it stops sticking to the pan. Turn off the heat and place the pan on a cool surface.
Chill & Set, Then Cut Into Squares
Grease an 8 by 8 inch pan with ghee. For ease of removing, line the pan with parchment paper.
Pour the kalakand mix in the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
Top it with finely chopped nuts. Using a spatula, gently press the nuts so they stick to the kalakand. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or until it sets properly.
Using a clean sharp knife, cut in squares. Continue cutting into squares, cleaning the knife between each cut.
Video
Notes
Use part-skim ricotta rather the whole milk. This is more for consistency. We want a slightly grainy texture. If whole milk ricotta is all you have on hand, cook the mix for a few minutes longer.
Omit the sugar, if desired. This will make the kalakand less sweet.
Use fresh, green cardamom pods. Simply de-seed 4-5 pods and pound them in mortar-pestle or a mini spice grinder.
Kalakand is ready when it stops sticking to the pan. Remove from the heat and place it on a trivet to cool slightly.
Top it with pistachios and/or almonds, if desired. Gently press the nuts into the milk fudge so they stick. Alternatively, omit the nuts for a nut-free recipe.
Clean the knife after each cut. This makes for easy cutting and a cleaner presentation.
Once the kalakand is cut into squares, cover and chill until ready to serve. Then remove from the fridge 5-10 minutes beforehand. This takes the sharp chill off from the fridge.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. The cottage cheese fudge will keep up to 4 days.
Freeze for longer storage. Simply cut into squares as directed and place on a small baking sheet with 1-2 inches between each piece. Freeze for 1 hour, until set, then transfer to an airtight container with parchment liners between each layer. Freeze for up to 1 month. Bring to cool room temperature for 10-15 minutes on the kitchen counter or thaw overnight in the fridge.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.