Microwave Kalakand (Indian Milk Fudge/Barfi)

I love desi mithais/halwas but when it comes to making them I rarely have the time or patience to stand in front of the stove and slog for hours to even come close to the high benchmarks set by our mothers and grandmothers. I seriously wonder sometimes how they used to manage three wholesome meals everyday  without the convenience of food processors, microwaves or dishwashers and on top of that come up with  time consuming delicacies such as mithais or halwas.

Microwave Kalakand

In theory I would love to make dishes the way they are supposed to be made – the good old fashioned way, stirring and simmering for hours to achieve perfection. but honestly, it’s just not practical for me. Shortcut recipes like this one work like a charm for me.

Traditionally, kalakand is made by cooking fresh chenna/paneer with reduced milk . This quick and easy recipe uses store bought ricotta cheese and condensed milk and is made in the microwave rather than the stove.
Microwave Kalakand

Ingredients:

Condensed Milk – 1 can
*Ricotta cheese – same amount (use the empty can for measuring)
Cardamon powder – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp (according to taste)
Few pistachios – blanched, peeled and slivered
Ghee or butter – for greasing the bowl/dish
Method:
1) Lightly grease a  large microwaveable bowl with ghee or butter .Combine the condensed milk, ricotta cheese and cardamom powder in it.
2) Microwave uncovered on full power for about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye so that the mixture doesn’t boil and spill over.

3) Stir the mixture and break any lumps that may have formed.
4) Microwave for 14-16 minutes more , stopping and stirring every 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks grainy and almost all the liquid has evaporated. The mixture should have left the sides of the bowl . It should not be very dry otherwise the kalakand will be hard.In my 1000W microwave it took a total of 21 minutes to achieve the desired consistency. Microwave ovens vary, so keep a close eye on it to achieve the perfect consistency.
5) Grease a square or rectangular dish with ghee or butter and spread the mixture in it. Press it down with a flat spoon and sprinkle the slivered pistachios.
6) Cool it down to room temperature and then refrigerate for couple of hours before cutting into squares.

Variations:

  • Add a pinch of crushed saffron after microwaving the mixture.
  • Instead of pistachios, chopped almonds/silver foil can be used for garnishing.

*Note: I use regular full fat ricotta cheese for this recipe. I once tried  it with extra smooth ricotta cheese but the result was not the same.

Recently, my lovely blogger friend Asiya of Chocolates & Chillies shared this award with me:
I would like to share it with the following blogger friends:
Suchi of  Kitchen Karma
Faseela of Good Food ends with good talk
Anjana of Maayeka
Anu of Anu’s Healthy Kitchen and Anu’s Cake & Bakes
This recipe goes to the following events:
Guest Quest hosted by Amina Creations
Exhibit every bite #1 – Simple recipes hosted by Jiya’s Delicacy
Let’s Party:Desserts hosted by Rasoi
 

 

15 comments on “Microwave Kalakand (Indian Milk Fudge/Barfi)

  1. Hello Sadaf,

    How are you? These kalakands look awesome, I can hardly believe they are microwaved….they look so fresh….thanks for the award….really touched 🙂

  2. Asalamwalaykum Sadaf,

    I made this kalakand today. It turned out really yummy and was easy to make. I just have a couple of questions. What size dish did you set the kalakand in? I used 8×8 and it was very thin. Also mine came out light brown not white. I used low fat condensed milk and light ricotta. Not sure if this is why or maybe I left it in the microwave too long. Anyways we really enjoyed it! Thanks for the recipe!

  3. Waleykumassalam Asiya, I’m extremely sorry for the late response. I had been in India for the last one and half months and have been guilty of neglecting my blog. I use a 6×6 inch square dish for setting the kalakand . Regarding the color, the first time I made them I got an almost milky white color but on subsequent attempts I got an off white color. I always used full fat ingredients.Maybe it had something to do with the brand of ingredients. In your case, I think if you are getting a light brown color then probably you are putting it in the microwave for too long. I’m glad that you enjoyed it though.

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