The Mango Kalakand is a delicious and flavorful twist to the traditional Kalakand. The dessert is made with fresh mango pulp and it brings a nice summary and refreshing taste!
This Mango Kalakand recipe is easy and straightforward and gives a simple yet elegant and delicious sweet treat! It is definitely worth adding to the list of your mango dessert recipes.
What is Kalakand?
Kalakand is a popular Indian sweet, and traditionally it is made by reducing milk and sugar. As a result, it is very moist and juicy, with a grainy texture. This melt-in-the-mouth sweet is famous in every Indian household, but particularly in the North and East of India.
Highly Flavorful Mango Kalakand
It is another version of a classical Kalakand, an Indian dessert. I have adopted this recipe from my Pistachio Kalakand recipe.
Being an Indian, I can’t describe how much I love mangoes. In summer, we indulged in mangoes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anytime between meals!
Anyways, coming back to this delicious Indian sweet, it is a simple recipe with only a few ingredients. We require only three core ingredients: chhena or paneer, condensed milk, and mango pulp. Flavoring with ground cardamom and garnishing with pistachios are totally optional.
Mango Kalakand can be made with fresh mango pulp, frozen mango pulp (which needs to be thawed), or canned mango puree. Depending on the sweetness of mango pulp, you will need to adjust the amount of condensed milk.
This Indian sweet is moist, juicy, creamy, and refreshing and can be enjoyed on any occasion. If you use frozen mango pulp or canned mango puree, you can make this dessert any time of the year.
Why Will You Love Mango Kalakand
- Mango Kalakand is soft, moist, juicy, and creamy.
- It is made with freshly made, and protein-packed chhena.
- The recipe is simple and straightforward to follow.
- It requires only a few ingredients.
- You can enjoy this sweet and fruity dessert on any occasion.
- This dessert is bursting with fresh mango flavor.
- It is a refreshing fruit dessert for mango lovers out there.
Ingredients and Notes
- Chhena: I like to make kalakand from freshly homemade Chhena. However, it can also be made with store-bought Paneer. We need to crumble or grate the paneer before using it in the recipe. But I would highly recommend making chhena at home and proceeding further to make kalakand. The reason is if we make it at home, it retains its moisture and flavor. Making fresh chhena means we will get softer and melt in the mouth kalakand. But in any case, if you have to use store-bought Paneer, make sure it is as fresh as possible.
- Mangoes: For this recipe, we need to use mangoes that do not contain fiber. So when we make pulp, it should be fiber-free. But if you have a mango that contains fiber, make sure to strain it to remove fiber and then use it in the recipe. There are so many varieties of mangoes. So I would recommend using your favorite. Use ripe and sweet mangoes.
- Condensed Milk: Condensed milk makes this recipe extremely easy and provides a creamy and rich texture to Kalakandd. I have used 1 cup condensed milk in this recipe but use it less or more as you need. If mango pulp is very sweet, you might need to use less condensed milk or vice versa.
- Cardamom Powder: It adds a sweet and warm flavor to this scrumptious Indian sweet.
- Nuts: I have garnished the Kalakand with chopped pistachio. But you can skip it or use other nuts like almonds or cashews.
How To Make Mango Kalakand
Making The Chhena
- Bring 2 liters of milk to boil in a thick-bottomed pan, stirring frequently.
- Once the milk starts boiling, turn off the heat and add white vinegar, one tablespoon at a time, stirring gently.
- Soon, the milk will start curdling, and the greenish whey and milk solids will be separated. Milk solids are what we call chhena.
- Pour the curdled milk into a colander lined with muslin cloth and collect the chhena.
- Rinse the chhena well with fresh, cold water to remove the taste and smell of vinegar.
- Rinsing is an essential step; you can taste chhena to ensure it does not taste like vinegar.
- Bring the ends of the clothes together and gently squeeze the water out of the chhena.
- Remember not to squeeze too much, as the chhena should be moist, not dry.
- Set aside the chhena tied in a muslin cloth for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the chhena from the cloth and crumble it gently to loosen up big clumps.
Making The Mango Kalakand
- Grease a baking pan or glass container with butter or ghee and line it with parchment paper.
- Keep the parchment paper edges bigger than the pan so it is easy to pull Kalakand out of the container. Set aside.
- Add the chhena, condensed milk, and mango pulp to a thick-bottomed nonstick pan.
- Mix well and cook on low to medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Cook the mango kalakand mixture until it becomes thick, like a big lump, and stops sticking to the sides of the pan.
- It will take about anywhere between 20-30 minutes, depending on the heat’s intensity and the pan’s thickness.
- Once you get the right consistency, turn off the heat and add cardamom powder.
- Mix well.
- Transfer the mixture to a prepared pan and spread it evenly with a spatula.
- Press the mixture down with the spatula.
- Smooth the top and garnish with chopped pistachios.
- Allow the mango kalakand to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Once it is set, cut it into the desired shape and size.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
- Serve chilled Mango Kalakand immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge until serving time.
- Kalakand is a milk-based sweet that will not stay at room temperature. So, keep the leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Helpful Tips
- Milk: Use whole or full-fat milk to make the chhena for a creamier and richer Mango Kalakand. Using low-fat chhena will turn into a chewy and unpleasant Kalakand. However, if you have only low-fat milk, you can replace half a cup with cream to make chhena.
- Vinegar: You can also use lemon juice instead of white vinegar. However, strain the juice before adding it to the milk.
- Chhena: Rinse the chhena properly to remove the vinegar taste and smell. After rinsing the chhena, squeeze it to remove water, but remember the chhena should be moist for soft and juicy Kalakand. So do not squeeze too much so that the chhena becomes dry.
- Condensed Milk: Adjust the amount of condensed milk to your taste. If mango pulp is very sweet, you may need less condensed milk. After mixing chhena, condensed milk, and mango pulp, taste the mixture and add more condensed milk if required.
- Serving: We like chilled Mango Kalakand. But if you prefer warm, you can serve it loose and warm in a serving bowl.
More Indian Sweets
Recipe Card
Mango Kalakand / Easy Mango Kalakand Recipe
The Mango Kalakand is a delicious and flavorful twist on the traditional Kalakand. The dessert is made with fresh mango pulp and has an excellent summary and refreshing taste!
Video
Ingredients
For Chhena
- 2 liters 8 cups full-fat or whole milk
- 3-4 tablespoon white vinegar
For Mango Kalakand
- 2 cups of prepared chhena
- 1 cup condensed milk (or to taste)
- 1 cup mango pulp
- A generous pinch of ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoon chopped pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
Making The Chhena
- Bring 2 liters of milk to boil in a thick-bottomed pan, stirring frequently.
- Once the milk starts boiling, turn off the heat and add white vinegar, one tablespoon at a time, stirring gently.
- Soon, the milk will start curdling, and the greenish whey and milk solids will be separated. Milk solids are what we call chhena.
- Pour the curdled milk into a colander lined with muslin cloth and collect the chhena. Rinse the chhena well with fresh, cold water to remove the taste and smell of vinegar.
- Rinsing is an essential step; you can taste chhena to ensure it does not taste like vinegar.
- Bring the ends of the clothes together and gently squeeze the water out of the chhena. Remember not to squeeze too much, as the chhena should be moist, not dry.
- Set aside the chhena tied in a muslin cloth for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the chhena from the cloth and crumble it gently to loosen up big clumps.
Making The Mango Kalakand
- Grease a baking pan or glass container with butter or ghee and line it with parchment paper. Keep the parchment paper edges bigger than the pan so it is easy to pull Kalakand out of the container. Set aside.
- Add the chhena, condensed milk, and mango pulp to a thick-bottomed nonstick pan. Mix well and cook on low to medium heat, stirring continuously.
- Cook the mango kalakand mixture until it becomes thick, like a big lump, and stops sticking to the sides of the pan. It will take about anywhere between 20-30 minutes, depending on the heat’s intensity and the pan’s thickness.
- Once you get the right consistency, turn off the heat and add cardamom powder. Mix well.
- Transfer the mixture to a prepared pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Press the mixture down with the spatula. Smooth the top and garnish with chopped pistachios.
- Allow the mango kalakand to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Once it is set, cut it into the desired shape and size.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
- Serve chilled Mango Kalakand immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge until serving time.
- Kalakand is a milk-based sweet that will not stay at room temperature. So, keep the leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Milk: Use whole or full-fat milk to make the chhena for a creamier and richer Mango Kalakand. Using low-fat chhena will turn into a chewy and unpleasant Kalakand. However, if you have only low-fat milk, you can replace half a cup with cream to make chhena.
- Vinegar: You can also use lemon juice instead of white vinegar. However, strain the juice before adding it to the milk.
- Chhena: Rinse the chhena properly to remove the vinegar taste and smell. After rinsing the chhena, squeeze it to remove water, but remember the chhena should be moist for soft and juicy Kalakand. So do not squeeze too much so that the chhena becomes dry.
- Condensed Milk: Adjust the amount of condensed milk to your taste. If mango pulp is very sweet, you may need less condensed milk. After mixing chhena, condensed milk, and mango pulp, taste the mixture and add more condensed milk if required.
- Serving: We like chilled Mango Kalakand. But if you prefer warm, you can serve it loose and warm in a serving bowl.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 157kcalCarbohydrates : 14gProtein : 6gFat : 9gSaturated Fat : 5gPolyunsaturated Fat : 1gMonounsaturated Fat : 1gCholesterol : 25mgSodium : 35mgPotassium : 72mgFiber : 1gSugar : 14gVitamin A : 406IUVitamin C : 3mgCalcium : 191mgIron : 2mg
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Geeta says
Is it Malai Paneer or Low fat Paneer to be used?
Jigna says
Hi Geeta, you can use either one! However, I will recommend using Malai Paneer for the rich and creamy Mango Kalakand. If you are making Chhena at home, use whole milk instead of low-fat milk for better results.
I hope this will help.