Paan Kalakand (with Ricotta Cheese)
Nov 03, 2023
This easy paan kalakand is made with ricotta cheese and flavored with fresh paan leaves and gulkand. Topped with candied fennel and dried rose petals, this makes a delightful festive treat.
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Give the regular kalakand a twist with this Paan Kalakand. Flavored with paan leaves (betel leaves) and gulkand (rose petal preserve), this kalakand recipe uses ricotta cheese and condensed milk to cut short the cooking process. The sweet fudge is refreshing and is topped with candied fennel, and edible gold leaves to make it look festive.
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.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Recipe
- It is made with only few ingredients!
- Takes less time than making kalakand the traditional way since you don’t have to make the chena first.
- Addition of paan gives it a refreshing flavor.
- Makes the perfect mithai to gift to your friends and family for Diwali!
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
- Transfer 15 oz ricotta cheese to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of gulkand to it.
- Stir using a wire whisk or a spoon. Set this aside.
- To a blender add condensed milk. I used a 14 oz can minus 2 tablespoons of condensed milk in this recipe but you may use the entire can if you prefer the kalakand to be more sweet. Then add to it 5 large paan leaves (roughly chopped). If using smaller ones, you should add 7 to 8 of those. Also, add 1/2 teaspoon rose water.
- Blend the condensed milk with the paan leaves to a fine paste. Line a pan/container with parchment paper or grease it with ghee/butter for setting the kalakand.
- Now, put a pan on medium heat and add the ricotta cheese-gulkand mixture to it along with the condensed milk and paan mixture. Add 2 tablespoons of milk powder (optional) and stir everything. You can also add some green food color if you like. Stir until the mixture is smooth. It will be thin at this point.
- Now, turn heat to low-medium and continue to cook the mixture. It should start thickening around the 10 minute mark, so have patience and continue to stir continuously.
- After cooking for around 20 to 25 minutes, the mixture will leave the sides of the pan and become quite thick. If you press your spatula on top of the mixture, nothing will stick to the spatula. At this stage, it is ready. Don’t cook further at this point else kalakand can turn chewy. It can take anywhere between 20 to 25 minutes from the beginning to reach this stage depending on the thickness of the pan and intensity of the heat.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan lined with parchment paper. Spread it using a spatula and press it down into the pan. Top with candied fennel, rose petals and edible gold leaves. Let it set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours. Then cut into pieces using a sharp knife.
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.
More Paan Desserts
Paan desserts are a favorite around here and if you love them as much as I do, then you will love the following desserts.
- 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.
Paan Kalakand Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 oz ricotta cheese I used whole milk ricotta
- 2 tablespoons gulkand rose petal preserve
- 5 large paan leaves 16 grams
- ½ teaspoon rose water
- 14 oz can – 2 tablespoons condensed milk you can use the entire 14 oz can if you like, I use a little less
- 2 tablespoons milk powder optional
- candied fennel, dried rose petals, crushed pistachios, edible gold leaves to garnish
Instructions
- To a bowl add the ricotta cheese and mix gulkand with is using a spoon or wire whisk. Set that aside.
- Now, blend together condensed milk with paan leaves and rose water to a paste. Grease a pan with butter or line with parchment paper to set the kalakand
- Now add the ricotta-gulkand mixture and the condensed milk-paan leaves mixture into a pan and turn on the heat to medium. Stir until the mixture is smooth, it will be thin at this point. Also add milk powder if using. You may add some green food color if you want here.
- Turn heat to low and cook the mixture on low heat stirring constantly. It will start to thicken around the 10 minutes mark. After around 20 to 25 minutes of cooking on low heat, the mixture will thicken and leave the sides of the pan. It will also become non-sticky. If you press a spatula on top of the mixture, nothing should stick to it. Don't overcook from this point else the kalakand can turn chewy. The cooking time needed to reach this stage can vary depending on the thickness of the pan and the intensity of the heat.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan lined with parchment paper. Spread it using a spatula and press it down into the pan. Top with candied fennel, rose petals and edible gold leaves.
- Let it set in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Then cut into pieces using a sharp knife. I got 15 pieces from this. Store in fridge and enjoy. This paan kalakand tastes best when consumed within 3 days.
Notes
- As it’s a milk based dessert, it is best consumed within 3 days.
- 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.
- The cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the pan being used and the intensity of the heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s just as easy to replace paan with the Thandai mix? Correct? I prefer the ricotta burfi base than the dry milk burfi in the thandai burfi recipe.
you can, should be fine