Quick Rose Kalakand

A delicious and chic Indian sweet; Rose Kalakand is easy to make with ricotta cheese and four other ingredients.

This decadent sweet comes together in under 30 minutes of active time and makes a perfect addition to any festive menu.

Indian sweets come in so many textures, shapes, colors and flavors. From the traditional saffron and cardamom flavored sweets to the more unique chocolate, rose and paan flavors.

These flavors come through a lot of ingredients like milk, paneer, khoya and my favorite Ricotta Cheese. These make the best sweet dishes that are generally easy to put together and loved by everyone.

I share a lot of sweets here for festivals like Diwali, Holi, Sankranti and so on. Sweets like Chocolate Peda, Cranberry Pistachio Truffles, Paan Fudge and Badam Puri are some of the most loved recipes from the blog.

Along with these comes a recipe that has been loved by everyone over the years; Rose Kalakand. This has been on the blog for years and now I have 'much' better pictures, lots of tips and tricks and a video.

Jump to:

• What is Kalakand
• This Rose Kalakand
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Making Kalakand in the microwave
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Recipe FAQs
• More Indian Sweet Recipes
• Quick Rose Kalakand

What is Kalakand

Kalakand is literally an 'Indian milk cake'. We make it by boiling milk with paneer till it thickens this is then sweeten by adding sugar and flavor it using ingredients like cardamom.

Traditionally it is popularly made by adding some paneer to cooked milk to get the perfect grainy texture. However, now there are various variations of the same. Making it with ricotta cheese is the most popular version.

The plain version is flavored by just cardamom. However, there are lot of flavors available today; from chocolate, paan and saffron to rose and pistachio. While the base for all these are the same; the flavoring varies.

This Rose Kalakand

Today I am sharing a version of kalakand that is perfect for any occasion, super flavorful and chic to look at. We take the hard work of cooking the milk away by adding ricotta cheese. It is a milk based product but it cooks much faster compared to milk. Plus, it gives us the perfect texture we want in the kalakand.

Moreover, I am flavoring this with rose, a flavor that is loved by so many. From Rose Peda and Rose Shrikhand Popsicles to Rose Falooda and Rose Cardamom Cookies, we love them all.

And one common ingredient in these recipes including this Rose Kalakand is the popular syrup called Rose Syrup. This syrup is easy to find online or in Indian stores and has the perfect sweetness, color and flavor as that of rose!

Why this recipe works

• The recipe is super easy to make.
• This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
• We can finish this recipe in under 30 minutes of active time.
• The rose flavor shines through the ricotta cheese.
• This is a perfect sweet for any Indian festival.
• The pink color makes it chic and festive.
• Rose Kalakand is a perfect edible gift for the festive season.
• It is easy to make this nut-free by skipping the toppings.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Ricotta Cheese: The instant version of Kalakand is made with ricotta cheese. full fat ricotta cheese gives the most delicious kalakand; but lower fat versions work too.
• Condensed Milk: I like to sweeten the kalakand with sweetened condensed milk. Sugar will work as well, but condensed milk helps it make super creamy.
• Rose Syrup: The rose flavor in the kalakand comes from rose syrup. Rooh Afza, Mapro Rose syrup and Kalverts make the best kalakand. I tend to prefer the one with tiny rose petals in it.
• Cardamom Powder: The seasoning in the recipe comes from cardamom powder. This is optional but highly recommended. Some nutmeg or cinnamon powder can be used too.
• Toppings: I like to top my rose kalakand with some dried rose petals, slivered pistachios and colored fennel. These add a lot of texture, a pop of color and flavor to the kalakand. Some silver varakh can be added too.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- In a thick bottom pan add the ricotta cheese and condensed milk.

2- Cook on medium flame, stirring intermittently. The mixture tends to be thin at first, but on cooking the mix starts to thicken. Keeping stirring so it does not settle to the bottom.

3- Once the mix starts to thicken, add the ground cardamom powder and rose syrup.

4- Mix well and cook on medium flame till it starts to thicken further.

5- In about 12-15 minutes, the mix will thicken to a perfect consistency.

6- Once the mix is thick, add 1 teaspoon ghee.

7- Mix well till the mixture is glossy. Then transfer to a 9x9 inch square pan lined with parchment paper.

8- Spread it out evenly. Press down with a spatula or fingers.

9- Sprinkle pistachios and colored fennel on top.

10- Lightly press them down. Refrigerate the kalakand for 2-3 hours. Remove from refrigerator and add silver varakh (if using).

11- Using a sharp knife cut into cubes or diamonds.

12- Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container. Enjoy cold or at room temperature.

Making Kalakand in the microwave

The same kalakand can be easily made in the microwave. To do so, simply place the ricotta cheese and condensed milk in a heat safe bowl and mix well.

Microwave on full power for 5 minutes uncovered. Remove and mix well and place it covered in the microwave for another 5 minutes, checking once in between.

By now the mix will be thick. Then add cardamom and rose syrup and microwave for another 2 minutes. The mix will be pink, thick and grainy. Spread in a lined pan and refrigerate.

Remove and cut into cubes. The rose kalakand is ready!

Expert Tips and Notes

• Using Paneer: If you cannot find ricotta cheese, simply replace with same amount of finely grated paneer. The recipe will work just as well with it.
• Other Flavors: While I added rose to the recipe, it is easy to flavor it with just cardamom. Moreover, using saffron, paan, chocolate or even mango works well.
• Rose Petals: We use dried rose petals to top the kalakand. However, ensure the ones you get are edible. There are some dark pink ones that are only recommended for puja and not for consumption.
• Using a thick pan: Kalakand is best to make in a thick non-stick pan. The ricotta cheese tends to stick to the base so use the right pan. Thin pan will brown the condensed milk and ricotta mixture and burn in no time.
• Adding Coconut: Add some shredded coconut to make this into rose coconut kalakand; another delicious Indian sweet.
• Storage: Kalakand needs to be kept in the refrigerator. Consume in 5-6 days. It tends to turn sour after that.
• Over cooking the mix: We only want to cook everything till it is thick. Overcooking the mixture will make it chewy and fudgy texture; just like peda. So only cook till it is thick and let it cool on the parchment lined tray.

Recipe FAQs

More Indian Sweet Recipes