3 Ingredient Kalakand Milk Cake
Kalakand is probably my most favorite dessert. I love making it and love eating it.After i made a tub of no churn icecream over the Memorial Day weekend i had some leftover condensed milk so my first instinct was to make a quick batch of kalakand with 3 basic ingredients.
Ingredients
Ricotta Cheese – 16 oz or 454grams
Condensed Milk – 3/4th of a 14 oz can
Saffron for color & flavor – 2 tablespoons or to your taste
Ghee or butter to grease a 5×8 inch tray
Optional bits
1/4 tsp Cardamom to replace the saffron or in addition to it.
Silver foil or a few chopped nuts for decoration
Note : I had a huge tub of leftover rose petal jam so i mixed a 1 tbsp of it with 1/4 tbs of chopped nuts for a contrasting look
Cooking Time : 40-45 minutes
Method
1) Pour the condensed milk and ricotta cheese in a heavy bottom or non stick saucepan and mix it with a whisk to dissolve any lumps.
2) Start your gas and keep it on the lowest heat level.
3) Stir the mixture every 2-3 minutes and keep it covered as it splatters a lot. After 15 minutes add saffron per your taste. I’m a bit heavy handed with saffron when i make Indian desserts as it pairs well.
4) Keep a close eye on the mixture, as it needs to get to the point where it looks like grainy scrambled eggs which is when all the liquid has dried up but it doesn’t start burning.It took me exactly 42 minutes to get here, as i kept an eye on the clock, however, it might differ for you.If you want to add cardamom, go ahead and add it at the 30-35 minute mark because cardamom can taste soapy when you cook it for long. I personally avoid it in Kalakand
5) Once you know the mixture is cooked, transfer it to your greased tray and spread it evenly, so it is leveled. I prefer a healthy 1 inch height for the piece so this batch makes 9-10 pieces for me. Let it cool to room temperature.
6) Based on all my experiments, i’ve noticed that when i let a dessert cool down at room temperature and refrigerate for a few hours, it sets well and is easier to cut through.
7) This step is completely optional – I had edible silver foil & rose petal jam (Gulkand) from a previous dessert experiment, so i mixed the jam with coarsely chopped nuts and used it for decoration
Your Kalakand is ready to be enjoyed!