Kalakand is a rich Indian sweet made by condensing milk with paneer or Indian cheese. Whole milk is cooked along with paneer until solidified and shaped into a cake. It is a laborious process but there is always a shortcut. Microwave kalakand is a simplified version of preparing this delicious Bengali sweet.

Microwave Kalakand is making rounds in the blogosphere ever since I started blogging, little over three years ago. I heard and read a lot about this kalakand but never made it at home nor tasted it. Last Diwali, my cousin invited us to her house as it was her first Diwali in her new home. One of our aunts brought some homemade sweets and this kalakand was one of them. It was awesome and ever since, I wanted to try it. When I decided to participate in this month’s blogging marathon and picked my themes, I remembered this kalakand. I remember my aunt mentioning that all we need to prepare this delectable sweet is condensed milk and ricotta cheese and it would be a perfect recipe for cooking with five or less ingredients.

For the day 2 of the marathon, I made microwave kalakand. There are many recipes online for this sweet. I followed Sandeepa’s recipe and Hetal & Anuja also have a recipe similar to Sandeepa’s.

Source: Bong Mom’s Cookbook
Total Time: 27 – 30 minutes
Preparation: 10 minutes
Microwave: 17 minutes
Yields: 24 pieces

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. Ricotta Cheese
• 14 oz. Condensed Milk
• ½ tsp. Cardamom Seeds powdered
• Butter to grease the dish
• Garnish
  • 1 tbsp. chopped Almond
  • ½ tbsp. chopped Pistachios

Preparation:

• Grease a microwaveable dish with butter.
• Pour condensed milk into the pan. Add the ricotta cheese and mix well so that there are no lumps.
• Add cardamom powder and mix well.
• Microwave it for 5 minutes. Remove and stir it nicely.
• Microwave it for another 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the dish and stop the microwave if the mixture over flows. Remove, stir it and put it back in the microwave and continue to cook. My mixture did not over flow.
• By now the mixture will thicken. Continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring it every 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to over flows, mix it every 1 minute. By now the mixture will become grainy and most of the liquid will evaporate. It should not be too dry either. Microwave oven settings vary from oven to oven and cook it a little longer, if required.
• Once the mixture thickens, that would be in 15 – 17 minutes of cooking, let it cool on the counter top. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the nuts and press it firmly so that the nuts stick to the kalakand. Cut it into desired pieces and let it cool completely.

My Notes:
I cooked mine for 16 minutes and was not sure if I should cook it for another minute. I liked the taste and next time will definitely try cooking it for another minute to see if there is a difference in taste.

Recipes posted this month in 2008, in 2009 and in 2010.

To know more about the various themes and participating bloggers for this marathon, checkout the blogging marathon page on Srivalli’s blog.

This is my second entry to Srivalli’s MEC: Potluck Party.