Kalakand is a sweet cheese confection from India. It has been described as "akin to

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

cheesecake Cheesecake is a dessert made with a soft fresh cheese (typically cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark or ricotta), eggs, and sugar. It may have a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, ...

, firmer in texture than milk cake, but softer than burfis."

History

The earliest mention of kalakand as a sweet appears in the 19th-century

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

text ''Zīnat al-ʿarūs''. However, contemporary sources state that kalakand was invented in the Baba Thakur Das & Sons halwai (

confectioner Confectionery is the art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates, although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two broad and somewh ...

) shop in Alwar,

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

in 1947, where it is still sold today.

Preparation

To make kalakand,

chhena Chhena () or chhana () is a kind of acid-set cheese originating in the Indian subcontinent that is made from water buffaloDalby, A 2009, ''Cheese: A Global History'', Reaktion Books, p. 73, Kapoor, S & Kapoor, A 2006, ''Sanjeev Kapoor's No-oil V ...

(Indian cheese) is prepared and strained. Separately,

whole milk The fat content of milk is the proportion of milk, by weight, made up by butterfat. The fat content, particularly of cow's milk, is modified to make a variety of products. The fat content of milk is usually stated on the container, and the color ...

and water are mixed, boiled, and stirred continuously until the mixture is reduced to half its original volume. The strained chhena is softened using a food processor or by hand

kneading In cooking (and more specifically baking), kneading is a process in the making of bread or dough, used to mix the ingredients and add strength to the final product. It allows the process of baking to be shortened by developing the gluten more qu ...

. It is then added to the reduced milk-water mixture and cooked until it becomes a thick paste. Then sugar is added, and the mixture is cooked on low heat and stirred continuously until it thickens to a

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-like consistency. Then

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from South Asia. It is commonly used for cooking, as a Traditional medicine of India, traditional medicine, and for Hinduism, Hindu religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by ...

(clarified butter) or butter is added, and the mixture is cooked and stirred another five minutes until it acquires a glossy appearance. The mixture is spread onto a buttered tray or platter in the form of a rectangle and garnished with

pistachios The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

. After cooling, it is cut into squares and served.

References

{{reflist Indian desserts Pakistani desserts Cheese desserts Rajasthani desserts

History

Preparation

See also

References