Mango Kalakand Recipe is one of those simple and most straightforward desserts to prepare. It is very delicious with the bursting flavor of mango. This dessert brings a nice refreshing and distinguished taste because of fresh mango pulp.
I would call it a summer dessert or perfect during the mango season. We need only a few ingredients to make this simple yet elegant treat.
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.
About Mango Kalakand
It is another version of a classical Kalakand, an Indian dessert. I have adopted this recipe from my Kalakand and Pistachio Kalakand recipes.
It is summer, and mangoes are in season, so I decided to try this recipe, and instantly it became my new favorite.
To make this delight, we need only three main ingredients: chhena (freshly made Paneer), condensed milk, and mango pulp. Then, I added a pinch of cardamom for more flavor and garnished it with chopped pistachio.
Why Will You Love This Sweet
- Soft, Moist, Juicy, and Creamy
- Super Delicious
- Made with Protein-Packed Chhena
- Simple and Straightforward Recipe
- Few Ingredients
- Done Under 30 Minutes
- Perfect for Festivals and Celebrations
- Bursting with mango flavor
- Refreshing fruit dessert
Ingredients
- Chhena: I like to make kalakand from freshly homemade Chhena. However, it can also be made with store-bought Paneer. We need to crumble 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 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 mango, which does not contain fiber. So when we make pulp, it should be fiber-free. But if you have mango which contains it, 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 mango, which is your favorite. Use the mangoes, which are ripe and sweet.
- Condensed Milk: Condensed milk makes this recipe extremely easy and provides creamy and rich texture toKalakandd. 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 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.
Step by Step Directions
Making Chhena
- Bring milk to boil in a thick bottom pan, stirring continuously.
- Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat.
- Add white vinegar or lime juice.
- The milk will be curdled, and greenish whey will be separated.
- Pour this curdled milk into a pan lined with cotton or muslin cloth.
- Also, we can strain through the strainer with tiny pores.
- Now pour some cold water onto this chhena to wash out the taste of vinegar. Do not pour too much water.
- Gently squeeze out the water.
- Do not squeeze too much, as the chhena should be moist.
- Let the chhena cool, then crumble it gently, and keep it aside.
Making Mango Kalakand
- Grease a baking pan or glass container with butter or ghee and line with plastic wrap.
- Keep the edges of the plastic wrap bigger than the container, so it’s easy to pullKalakandd out of the pan.
- You can also line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a non-stick pan or thick base pan, take prepared chhena, condensed milk, and mango pulp.
- Mix well and cook on low to medium flame, stirring continuously.
- After 15-20 minutes, the mixture will become thick and like a big lump.
- It will also stop sticking to the sides of the pan.
- The mixture will be moist and very soft.
- Add a pinch of cardamom to the kalakand, mix well and turn off the heat.
- Let the mixture cool in the pan.
- Pour this mixture into a greased pan or container.
- Smooth the top and sprinkle some chopped pistachio.
- Refrigerate Mango Kalakand for a few hours or at least for 2 hours.
- Once Mango Kalakand is set, cut it in the desired shape and size.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
- Serve chilled Mango Kalakand immediately or keep it in an air-tight container and store it in the fridge until the time of serving.
- Kalakand will not stay at room temperature as it is a milk-based sweet. So keep the leftovers tightly covered in the fridge.
- We can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Helpful Tips
- Use whole milk or full-fat milk to make chhena for this recipe. However, if you only have low-fat milk, you can replace one cup of it with one cup of heavy cream to make chhena.
- Do not squeeze chhena too much, as chhena should be well moistened to make Kalakand. Moist chhena will make juicy and soft Kalakand.
- Instead of chilling and shaping Kalakand, you can also serve it loose and warm in a serving bowl.
- Adjust the amount of condensed milk as per your sweetness preference. So, start with adding one cup of condensed milk, mix, taste, and then add more as you need.
- Instead of white vinegar, you can also use lemon juice. But strain the juice before adding it to the milk.
- This recipe can easily be halved or doubled.
More Indian Sweets
You May Like More Desserts
- Pistachio Kalakand / Kalakand With Pistachios
- Til Ladoo / Til Gud Ke Laddu / Sesame Energy Balls
- Milk Peda / Kesar Malai Peda
- Besan Burfi / Besan Ki Barfi
- Rava Ladoo (Suji Ladoo)
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Recipe Card
Mango Kalakand / Easy Mango Kalakand Recipe
Ingredients
For Chhena
- 2 liters (8 cups) whole milk
- 4 tablespoon white vinegar or lime juice
For Mango Kalakand
- 2 cups crumbled chhena or grated paneer
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 1 cup mango pulp
- Pinch of cardamom powder
- 8-10 Pistachios chopped for garnishing
Instructions
Making Chhena
- Bring 2 liters of milk to boil in a thick pan, stirring continuously.
- Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat. Then, add white vinegar or lime juice.
- The milk will be curdled, and greenish whey will be separated. Pour this curdled milk into a pan lined with cotton or muslin cloth. Also, we can strain through the strainer with tiny pores.
- Now pour some cold water onto this chhena, so that we can wash out the taste of vinegar. Do not pour too much water. Gently squeeze out the water. Do not squeeze too much as the chhena should be moist. Let the chhena cool, crumble it gently, and keep it aside.
Making Mango Kalakand
- Grease a baking pan or glass container with butter or ghee and line with plastic wrap. Keep the edges of the plastic wrap bigger than the container, so it’s easy to pull Kalakand out of the container. You can also line it with parchment paper.
- In a non-stick pan or thick base pan, take prepared chhena or grated paneer, condensed milk, and mango pulp.
- Mix well and cook on low to medium flame, stirring continuously. Once the mixture becomes thick, like a big lump and not sticking on the sides of the pan, add cardamom powder. Mix well, and then turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool in the pan.
- Pour this mixture into a prepared pan or container. Smooth the top and garnish with chopped pistachio.
- Refrigerate mango Kalakand for a few hours or at least for 2 hours. Once it is set, cut the Kalakand in the desired shape and size.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
- Serve chilled Mango Kalakand immediately or keep it in an air-tight container and store it in the fridge until the time of serving.
- Kalakand will not stay at room temperature as it is a milk-based sweet. So keep the leftovers tightly covered in the fridge. We can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use whole milk or full-fat milk to make chhena for this recipe. However, if you only have low-fat milk, you can replace one cup of it with one cup of heavy cream to make chhena.
- Do not squeeze chhena too much, as chhena should be well moistened to make Kalakand. Moist chhena will make juicy and soft Kalakand.
- Instead of chilling and shaping Kalakand, you can also serve it loose and warm in a serving bowl.
- Adjust the amount of condensed milk as per your sweetness preference. So, start with adding one cup of condensed milk, mix, taste, and then add more as you need.
- Instead of white vinegar, you can also use lemon juice. But strain the juice before adding it to the milk.
- This recipe can easily be halved or doubled.
Geeta
Is it Malai Paneer or Low fat Paneer to be used?
Jigna
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.