So there is an easy way to do things and there is a not-so-easy way! Here we show you the easy way to make Kalakand! “Easy” because it has only 2 major ingredients AND ready to eat in under 2 hours and only 1 dish to clean, how can you go wrong with that? Try this mithai recipe for the festivals, holidays or as a hostess gift and you’ll have everyone licking their fingers! With Holi right around the corner and host of other festivals coming up, now is a perfect time to showcase your culinary skills.
Cook Time: 18 min
Prep Time: 5 min
Setting Time: 1 hr
Makes: 20 pcs (approx)
Ingredients:
Ricotta Cheese – 15 oz
Condensed Milk – 14 oz
Rose Water – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp (or 2-3 drops of Rose Essence)
Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
Chopped Pistachios – 1/2 tbsp
Chopped almonds – 1/2 tbsp
Method:
1. In a microwave safe square or rectangle dish, mix the Ricotta Cheese and the Condensed Milk well.
2. Mash down all the lumps with a help of a whisk.
3. Cook in the microwave for 5 minutes uncovered.
4. Take out and mix well. Make sure that you loosen the edges.
5. Back in the microwave 3 more minutes, uncovered.
6. Take out and mix.
7. Microwave for 2 minutes, covered. Take out and mix.
8. Microwave for 2 minutes,cross covered, take out and mix.
9. Microwave for another 6 minutes, uncovered taking out and stirring every 2 minutes.
10.Once done, mix well.
11. Add in the Powdered Cardamom and Rose Syrup/Rose Essence and mix well again.
12. Press down and flatten the mixture.
13. Sprinkle chopped Pistachios and Almonds on top and press them down to help them stick.
14. Cover and allow to set either in the refrigerator for an hour or on the counter-top for a few hours.
15. Cut into desired shape and serve.
Naresh,
Great low fat and diabetic recipe. Did pieces fall apart? i had this problem with the original receipe. thank you
No – the pieces stayed firm because of the added dry milk powder. The recipe was a hit and tasted even better after refrigeration for a couple of days..
Dear Ladies:
Great recipe. For all the low carb dieters and diebetic folks, I made this recipe using non fat ricotta cheese and unsweetened evaporated milk to which I added 1/2 cup of non fat milk powder to thicken the blend somewhat. I added splenda (to taste) towards the last 2 minute microwave cooking cycle.
Just turned out fabulous – with negligible carbohydrate count, no sugar and safe for diabetics!
Wow Naresh! What a fantastic recipe substitution for diabetics! Thanks so much…we’re sure it will be beneficial to many others.
hi
anuja jee!
i bought cottage cheese insted of recoto
and is 500g=to15oz tnx
Hi Akam,
Unfortunately, they are 2 very different products 🙁
Cottage Cheese is a great source of Protein so I would just add it into chapatis and knead it…
Hi Hetal and Anuja!
Thanks for the great reciepe !
You are welcome 🙂
where I will get condensed milk
hello ladies,
i tried this out yesterday… it was “Aawesome” (as rachel ray says it :))…
thank u.
Hi Hetal/anuja..
I prepared it and it turned out good. But i clnt cut it into pieces, why did that happen ? and it was too too too sweet. Where as i luv sweets but i also found it so sweet.
Actually while buying the Ricotta cheese i saw a variety/types of them. I just picked up any , which is the right one for this receipe.
Please suggest.
hi hetal/anuja
tried this recipe while ago and turned out awesome, at that time i got ricotta cheese, no added salt version.
but this time i could not find the no added salt version
my question is can we make this even with the ricotta which has salt in this. as having salt in a dessert may change its taste. plaese reply ASAP. i need to make it tonight for the party.
thx
swetha.
Hi Swetha,
Ricotta Cheese usually has a little salt in it and it says so in the ingredients. So we think it should be ok.
thank you for such a quick reply
🙂
HI Hetal and Anuja
I love your kalaknd recipe. I tried yesterday and it came out very delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Chaitali
Hi Chaitali,
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Hetal/Anuja,
I made this today and it came out really well. Thanks a lot!!
I have a bottle of honey but dont know what to do with it. Please suggest me a way of using it.
Thanks,
Padma
Hi to Hetal and Anuja.
Every tuesday i do fasting of ganesh ji, i watched this video and thought this will be the great “prashad”,i bought all the ingredients from the market and were easily available here in London. My mixture was more liquidy than that of yours and in 3rd step which was zigzag covered style,all of my mixture came out of the dish,it was really a mess.my mixture went to 1/4 in the bowl… but still i tried it and came out really good but again i couldnot cut it because oit was really soft like rabadi or halwa.. it was really tasty and good quick receipe for busy students..
no reply from hetal and anuja… 🙁
Hi Kirti,
Sorry about the late response 🙁
Unfortunately, we don’t know what to say – if you followed the recipe to the ‘T’ – the measurements, the directions…
The only thing we can say is that maybe the microwave is of a lower power and maybe try adding a little less condensed milk so there is less liquid…
Hope we can find a solution 🙁
hi hetal and anuja your recipe are absatlutly midblowing. i have mostly seen all of them and i do fillow them. for all my dishes i use this website becasue it is just the best and the quickest and simplist recipes. your my no1 chefs, thank you for all your hard work.
Hi Sonia,
Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments and we are so glad you find SMTC useful!
Hi,
I made kalakand today and it was so delicious that I am planning to make it for a party this weekend. Can I double the ingredients and if so, do I have to increase the cooking time.
Thank you.
Hi Lakshmi,
Microwaves are kind of tricky when it comes to doubling batches. Unfortunately we have not tried a double batch so don’t know an exact time. However, it will be longer. Sorry.
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
First of all, thanks to both of u for doing a great job here. you guys cook amazing recipes and turns out really well when i try it myself. 🙂
Can you tell me what vessels are better to get from india to US that may not be readily available out there? and what brand of pans / kadhais do u use in ur videos?
Hi Suwarna,
Many of the things available in India are now available here in the US. They are a little more expensive, however, with the limited baggage allowance on most airlines, it doesn’t make sense to carry it all the way from India. If weight was not an issue, Futura makes a line of hard anodized cookware that is really good. Of course a cast iron dosa tawa is a good item to bring. Most of the time, in our videos, we use a wok style pan from Bed Bath & Beyond.
Thanks Hetal,
i will definately get these 2 things when i come there.
I will be making 2 trips in the next 2 months so baggage allowance is not much of an issue.
Is there anything else u suggest to get from here. Appreciate your help a lot.
Hi Suwarna,
If you have the room, definitely pick up some nice insulated containers. They are amazing for keeping chapatis nice and hot and also for things like idli.
Hi H & A,
I want to make this recipe but was wondering if I can skip rose water?
Thanks
– Urvi
Hi Urvi,
Yes, if you don’t have it or do not like it, you can definitely skip it.
Hi Hetal,
I came to India for a vacation,I want to try the recipe at home foe my parents.So I want to know whether there is any substitute for ricotta cheese.please reply,Thanks in advance.
Hi Rohini,
Paneer would be the best substitute however we have not tried it with this recipe so cannot say exactly everything else will work right…sorry.
Hi Ladies,
I made this for Diwali and everyoe LOVED it! Thank you for this awesome, easy recipe.
Hi Hetal and anuja is it just condensed milk or Sweetend condensed milk
Hi Opal,
It is sweetened condensed milk.
Hi…
Can I use homemade ricotta cheese which can be done via microwave…(Combine 1 litre of fresh cow milk + 1 cup of strained yogurt cream cheese + 2 tblspoons of lemon juice and put in microwave…heat the mixture to curdle and get ricotta cheese…by separating it from the whey… and hang it in muslin cloth and refrigerate overnight…). And, the next day, we can use this firm and crumbly ricotta along with condensed milk, etc…for this recipe – Kalakand…Right?? Am I on right track?? Please advise me..
And, yes…can you tell me something that after refrigerating the recipe in what way should I do to preserve it? In refrigerator?? For how many days??? What is the life time of this recipe? Please tell me…
Once again Hrehaana, it is difficult to see if a recipe will work until you actually try it out. We always come up with recipes, like you, however, we have to try them out to see if they will work. Sometimes, they work, but many times they don’t so we have to start over or make adjustments. This kalakand should be kept in the refrigerator. It will remain fresh up to a week.
I make a recipie wth Ricotta cheese…Condensed Mlk…Evaporated Milk and Canned Pineapple pieces. Mix them all and keep them in conventional over for about 35 to 40 minutes to bake.
It tastes yum!
Wow Sia! That sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I tried this recipe….awesome. Both of you are amazing at your demonstration and building the convenience into the cooking. The kalakand came out great…impressed some hard-to-please people !
Need your help with one issue…the kalakand squares were too soft and kept breaking ….should I have microwaved it to be a bit dryer?
hello sister,s , How to make with ricotta cheez if we make pada or i want use ricotta cheez for pada, can you give me recipe please, thank you
Hello sister,s I make today ouick kalakand to in microwave it is very nice , good test, very sweet,can told me ricotta cheez we can made pada? how to make with ricotta cheez.
You both are an inspiration for us women. Your style (both….cooking n dressing :)) ) is fantastic. I like the way you color co-ordinate your outfits for the videos. You girls have cool choice. I find your recipes very easy to follow. But I feel esp. when you feature desserts videos….you should also specify the instructions as to how to serve them, how to store them, how long they will stay good….etc., etc., in the video itself because I highly doubt if any of us read the recipe….coz your video says it all….and we actually want to see you girls….it’s fun that way …not the reading part…well may be it’s just me. On serious note I really think it’s necessary coz some us really don’t know these things. I am going to try them for my husband’s aunt and prove myself. hopefully????
keep up the good work and I personally admire your efficiency in replying to the viewer comments on smtc.com and youtube.
Thanks a lot…you have made us SURVIVORS in THE KITCHEN.
Hi Preeti,
Excellent suggestions, will keep them in mind and try and implement them 🙂
Thanks for your feedback 🙂
is it good
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
This is an amazing recipe. It is so easy, quick and very tasty… For the first time, I tried preparing Kalakand last weekend for my guests . It turned out really good.
All my guests, my hubby and myself liked it so much.They could not believe its homemade.
Thank you so much for posting yummy recipes.
Regards
Ramya
Hi Hatel and Anuja,
I love your recipes. I made Kalakand couple of times and everyone loved it. Its an awesome recipe. Somehow every time the bottom layer was moist/ wet even when I let it dry at room temp or used wax paper sheet at the bottom. Any suggestions?
Anu
Hi Anu,
There may be a variation in the microwave, try cooking the mixture just a little longer so it looses a little more moisture. Hope that helps.
Can I substitute whipping cream for condensed milk.
is it the same or different.
Hi Hetal and Anuja
The Kalakand recipe turnes out absolutely wonderful . My daughther loved it !!!
Thanks and keep the good work coming .
Priyanka
Hi Guys,
Someone asked about ricotta in the UK. Sainsburys and Tesco should carry it. They both carry their own store brand of ricotta as well. Hope that helps.Sorry I didn’t notice the post for so long.
what brand of condensed milk did u use? is it with brown sugar?
Hi Lovely,
It is the regular store brand of Condensed Milk. Some of them have a darker color than others but taste is the same 🙂
Hi Hetal/Anuja,
I tried this recipe, and the Kalakand Burfi came out really well. But, it turned out to be white in color. How did you achieve the brown?
Hi Anusha,
It is the regular store brand of Condensed Milk. Some of them have a darker color than others but taste is the same 🙂
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
You guys are awesome. I visit your site quite often and tried many receipes. They are mind blowing, easy and at the same time delicious. Recently I tried your quick kalakand and fell in love with it but I noticed that even after microwaing it for almost 20min. there is lot of moisture in it. I drained it(about 2tbsp)and let it to set. They are lovely my husband and kids loved.
Request: Can you please give measurements in metric system and also the nutritional value(Calories) of the dish. It would be more helpful for people like me who diet concious.
thank you and keep rocking
Hi Hetal and Anuja
i made this kalakand today
came out really good
thank you
i just wanted to say that why dont you make a programme and present it to lifestyle food or any food channel
they will be very happy to produce you
so that you will be famous and earn lot of money
i dont know if you like this advise
its just that lot of people want to cook indian recipes but dont know how to cook.
Hi Namita,
Thanks…you’re so sweet. We are happy doing what we are doing right now. If the opportunity for something bigger comes along, we’ll have to think about it at that time.
Hi Meeta
I stay in Sharjah too and you should be able to find Ricotta cheese at Spinneys. I have seen it there.
Whenever I check showmethecurry website and I come across some ingredient that is not available at other supermarkets, I have always found it at Spinneys.
Hi Hetal and Anuja
kalakand and rasmalai are my favourite dessert.i live in the UAE ( sharjah).I am not able to find ricotta cheese as i have surveyed almost all the main supermarkets out here.For the kalakand recipe can i add khoya instead of ricotta cheese?
i have tried out a lot of your recipes and my family loves it.i love your presentation skills and you both simply Rock!!Thanks for all the wonderful recipes.
Well, Meeta, the original recipe does call for khoya but we have never tried it 🙁
You can try it but we would suggest making a smaller batch (pl. let us know how they turn out)
A word of caution – unlike stove-top cooking, in a microwave, half or double quantity does not mean half or double time -keep a close eye!
Hi guys, loved ur microwave kalakand recipe. I have a question abt it. What is the shelf life for the kalakand prepared this way? I am asking because I have a party coming up next week and I am planning on making this as one of the dessets. The rest will be catered. The party is quite early, around 10 in the morning, so I was wondering if I could make the kalakand the previous night and serve it at the party the next day. As you know,it will not be in the refrigerator during the party. Should i refrigerate it overnight if I make it the previous night or will it be fine outside? Also, do you have any suggestions for simple and easy make ahead appetizers (indian) that I can make the previous night and serve them the next day for the party? Thanks in advance.
Hi Sudha,
Don’t know how your comment/question went unanswered, sorry! 🙁
You can make it ahead and refrigerate it. It will stay good for a week or so. But serve at room temperature.
The chiwdas work out really well:
– https://34.233.61.50/appetizers/poha-chivda-a-snack-a-perfect-snack.html
– http://cache.showmethecurry.com/vidimages/CerealChivda.jpg
Since the gathering is early morning and you are going for a full meal, make the appetizers light so everyone does not fill up 🙂
Have fun!
Hi anuja and hetal
I followed your suggestions for making the kalakhand in the microwave. I have to say it was definitely a breeze. I used the fat free condensed milk and it still came out excellent. Thank You so much. You both are truly an inspiration for a person like me who likes to collect and read cook books like they are fascinating novels. My husband and kids love it because they don’t mind becoming the guinea pigs for all my culinary adventures.
Hi Minvas,
How wonderful and glad we could help! Good job training the husband and the kids 😉
Hello Hetal & Anuja,
Thanks for sharing this amazing and quick recipe with us. I loved the dish where you made your kalakand. Can you let me know where you bought it? Is it available in your Online Store?
Thanks!
-Deepa
Hi Deepa,
The brand is Corningware. We have had it for a while and don’t know if they still carry the design 🙁
Check it our online but the brand is available in stores like Walmart, Target etc.
Hope that helps 🙂
Thanks Anuja- that definitely helps! Your online store does’nt seem to carry this Corningware dish but I’ll definitely check out Target/Walmart/any Corningware outlet stores.
Hi guys!
You are both amazing! Not just amazing cooks but really good entertainers too, I have watched and used a lot of your videos and I can not tell you how much I appreciate your efforts! Thanks and keep adding the videos!
Hi Minu,
Thank you so much…needless to say, we love to get compliments 😉
Thanks for putting a smile on our faces 🙂
Hetal/Anuja,
I just made this recipe. It turned out so yummy.
I have a suggestion – Can you please change the ‘condensed milk’ in the recipe description to ‘sweetened condensed milk’. I had to search the comments to clarify if you used sweetened condensed milk. It would be easier if its in the recipe text.
Thanks for this super easy and wonderful recipe.
Hello Hetal & Anuja, I made kalakand it was awesome.
If you find time please post the recipe for milk kova using ricotta cheese. I just wonder shall i follow the same method to make milk kova too ? Please reply.
I have the balance ricotta cheese in handy. Have to finish as soon. Pls do reply.
Hi Sahana,
We will put that in our list, thanks for you feedback. 🙂
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Amazing recipe!! Thanks a bunch for all that you do :). I just wanted to add, I use a cookie turner for lifting sweets like these or dhokla, khaman, etc. I have “Cooking Concepts Cookie Turner Stainless Steel Wooden Kitchen Gadget New”. I got it from Dollar store. It makes it really easy to even lift a piece right from middle, after I cut them. Then sides get really easy.
Thanks.
Hi Newbee,
Great suggestion! Will make a note of that 🙂
Hi i stay in UK m not finding the Ricotta Cheese here please help me out is there any other name or wht is the other option??
Sorry, Usha! Don’t have a clue, maybe one of the viewers can pipe in and help out 🙁
Hi Hetal, pls post the recipe for milk khova. I love milk khova. Please post it when you find time. thanks.
Hi Hetal
I am yet to try this recipe but i ahve tasted this at a friends house.I want to know if i want to make this in larger quantity do i just double the ingredients and double the time or you have another shortcut that we can apply.Please let me know
Thanks
Priya
Hi Hetal,
Your Kalakand receipe is good. Made it but pieces were falling apart. Didn’t bind together well. I have 1000Watts microwave and had kept in fridge overnight. I cooked in microwave for 20 minutes following your receipe and it had moisture left after 20 minutes when i put in fridge to set. Can you help me please?
Hi,
Thanks for this wonderful receipe. I tried it yesterday. It was great. once again thanks for sharing the great receipe.
Great Job!!!.
Recipe serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients:
•2 cup cool whip
•1/2 cup sour cream
•1/4 cup sugar
•1 mango peeled and diced
•1 orange sliced
•1/2 cup pineapple diced
•1/4 cup strawberries sliced
•1/4 cup grapes sliced
•1/2 banana sliced
•1 tablespoon crushed walnut
•1 tablespoon sliced or chopped almonds
•2 strawberry sliced for garnishing
Method:
1.In a chilled bowl mix cool whip, sour cream and sugar.
2.Fold all the fruits and nuts slowly into the cream.
3.Garnish with strawberries.
Thanks for the fruit cream recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
hi i tried out this recipie but does the rose water make the burfi brown.
– thanks
No, there are only a few drops of rose water/essence. It is the condensed milk that gives the burfi a beautiful color.
ok thanks for ur help.
– thanks
i did this recpie and my burfi turned out white but i still di use the condensed milk
Hey ladies, tries few of ur recipes n they were a hit. Just to bring a point to ur notice. Evaporated milk, condensed milk, ricotta chesse, microwave in evryhousehold in India are not easily available. Can you plz give the easy substitute of all these. Thanx!!!!!!!
Hi Vidhi,
Very good suggestion, we will work on it.
Thanks for your feedback 🙂
In India you get good quality Paneer, Khoya, Malai wala doodh and at last but not least Amazing Kalakand by itself….
Its we poor people who need all these quick stuff in USA…You are lucky!!
Thanks to Anuja n Hetal for this.