Kalakand........Milk Fudge

Kalakand is a popular Indian dessert, it usually made from cooking down milk and sugar. This soft set fudge is sold in almost all sweet shops in India.

Kalakand has a delicate grainy texture, infused with aromatic flavors of rose, cardamom, and saffron generously garnished with pistachios.

This recipe is a very quick version, reduces the cooking time to 1/4th.

Ricotta Cheese – 2 cups can be substituted by soft freshly made Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese)

Milk Powder– 2 cups

Ghee/ Butter- 1TBSP

Natural Cane Sugar- 3/4 cup

Saffron strand - a pinch

Rose Water – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp (or 2-3 drops of Rose Essence)

Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp

Chopped Pistachios – 1 tbsp

Chopped almonds – 1/2 tbsp

STOVETOP METHOD

To a heavy bottom Pan, add Ghee, Ricotta Cheese, saffron, milk powder, and sugar.

Continue to stir and cook the mixture while stirring continuously on a medium flame. Be careful this mixture does tend to splatter when it begins to thicken.

You want to cook the mixture on a medium flame till it thickens. The mixture should be grainy, soft, yet firm enough to set and cut into pieces.

MICROWAVE METHOD

In a microwave-safe square or rectangle dish, add Ghee, Ricotta Cheese, saffron, milk powder, and sugar. Mix well. Microwave for 2 minutes, Take out and mix. Microwave for another 2 minutes, take out and mix. Microwave for another 8 minutes, taking out and stirring every 2 minutes. The mixture should be grainy, soft, yet firm enough to set and cut into pieces.

Now that you have the mixture ready, no matter what method you use.

Add in the Powdered Cardamom and Rose Syrup/Rose Essence and mix well again

Transfer to a square/ rectangle mold 9x9 or 9x13 (will be thinner) Press down and flatten the mixture, smoothing the top

Sprinkle chopped Pistachios and Almonds on top and press them down gently to help them stick.

Cover and allow to set either in the refrigerator for an hour or on the counter-top for a few hours.

Cut into the desired shape, sprinkle with love, chant a little prayer, and serve.