Nov 03, 2023 I can’t let go of Diwali without sharing a paan dessert with you guys. It has become more like a tradition here on the blog ever since the famous Paan Ladoo went viral 7 years ago. Since then, I have shared a paan dessert every Diwali from truffles, to mousse, and now kalakand.
Ingredients
Ricotta cheese: I recommend using whole milk ricotta cheese for this recipe. You can find ricotta cheese at every grocery store along with sour cream etc. if you live in the US. Paan leaves: for the paan flavor, you need fresh paan leaves. I find them at Indian grocery stores. I have also used gulkand (rose petal preserve) to flavor the kalakand. Sweetened condensed milk: the addition of condensed milk helps in cutting short the process of making this paan kalakand. I didn’t use the whole 14 oz can. I used a 14 oz can minus 2 tablespoons but you can use the whole can if you want.
How to Make Paan Kalakand
Can I Replace Ricotta with Whole Milk?
Yes, you can make this recipe with whole milk. You would need around 1 & 1/2 liters of whole milk. You will boil it and then curdle it with lemon juice (around 2 tablespoons) and make chena. Wash the chena to get rid of the lemon taste. Then tie it in a muslin cloth and let it hang for 10 minutes. Transfer the chena to a pan and add condensed milk-paan mixture, gulkand and rose water to it. Set heat to low and stir the mixture until everything is combined. Continue to cook the mixture until it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan and becomes non-sticky. Do not overcook else it will become dry. This mixture made with fresh chena will have less moisture compared to ricotta cheese mixture that we use in this recipe so that’s why it will take less time to reach this stage, probably 15 minutes or so. Transfer to a pan lined with parchment paper and let it set for 2 to 3 hours and then cut into pieces using a sharp knife.
Tips & Notes
Don’t overcook the mixture once it has reached the right stage. Three things to look for to know it is the right stage to stop cooking: 1) mixture has thickened a lot but it is not dry 2) it leaves the sides of the pan 3) if you press a silicone spatula on top of the mixture, nothing sticks to it. You should stop at this stage else the mixture will turn dry and kalakand can become chewy. If you cook for less time however, the paan kalakand might not set. In that case, you need to put the mixture back on the pan and cook for some more time on low heat. This paan kalakand tastes best when it is consumed within 3 days but you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also add some mint extract and fennel seeds to the mixture while cooking it on the stove-top.
Creamy cheesecake meets the flavors of meetha paan in this Eggless Paan Cheesecake. Ever had kheer flavored with paan leaves? It’s even topped with a rose crumble! Paan peda combines the classic peda with the flavors of paan. These make a freat festive mithai.
title: “Paan Kalakand With Ricotta Cheese " ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-01” author: “Mercedes Hoffmann”
Nov 03, 2023 I can’t let go of Diwali without sharing a paan dessert with you guys. It has become more like a tradition here on the blog ever since the famous Paan Ladoo went viral 7 years ago. Since then, I have shared a paan dessert every Diwali from truffles, to mousse, and now kalakand.
Ingredients
Ricotta cheese: I recommend using whole milk ricotta cheese for this recipe. You can find ricotta cheese at every grocery store along with sour cream etc. if you live in the US. Paan leaves: for the paan flavor, you need fresh paan leaves. I find them at Indian grocery stores. I have also used gulkand (rose petal preserve) to flavor the kalakand. Sweetened condensed milk: the addition of condensed milk helps in cutting short the process of making this paan kalakand. I didn’t use the whole 14 oz can. I used a 14 oz can minus 2 tablespoons but you can use the whole can if you want.
How to Make Paan Kalakand
Can I Replace Ricotta with Whole Milk?
Yes, you can make this recipe with whole milk. You would need around 1 & 1/2 liters of whole milk. You will boil it and then curdle it with lemon juice (around 2 tablespoons) and make chena. Wash the chena to get rid of the lemon taste. Then tie it in a muslin cloth and let it hang for 10 minutes. Transfer the chena to a pan and add condensed milk-paan mixture, gulkand and rose water to it. Set heat to low and stir the mixture until everything is combined. Continue to cook the mixture until it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan and becomes non-sticky. Do not overcook else it will become dry. This mixture made with fresh chena will have less moisture compared to ricotta cheese mixture that we use in this recipe so that’s why it will take less time to reach this stage, probably 15 minutes or so. Transfer to a pan lined with parchment paper and let it set for 2 to 3 hours and then cut into pieces using a sharp knife.
Tips & Notes
Don’t overcook the mixture once it has reached the right stage. Three things to look for to know it is the right stage to stop cooking: 1) mixture has thickened a lot but it is not dry 2) it leaves the sides of the pan 3) if you press a silicone spatula on top of the mixture, nothing sticks to it. You should stop at this stage else the mixture will turn dry and kalakand can become chewy. If you cook for less time however, the paan kalakand might not set. In that case, you need to put the mixture back on the pan and cook for some more time on low heat. This paan kalakand tastes best when it is consumed within 3 days but you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also add some mint extract and fennel seeds to the mixture while cooking it on the stove-top.
Creamy cheesecake meets the flavors of meetha paan in this Eggless Paan Cheesecake. Ever had kheer flavored with paan leaves? It’s even topped with a rose crumble! Paan peda combines the classic peda with the flavors of paan. These make a freat festive mithai.
