One of the reasons that I don’t usually make Bengali or Indian desserts very often is that they take a lot of time standing in front of a stove. It’s not like baking something where you pop it in the oven and then go away for a while. South Asian desserts require your attention for the full prep time. There is no “down” time. On my recent quest to make Paneer at home, I made several batches of paneer with varying degrees of success. The batch I made with whole milk and heavy cream mixture (4 cups whole milk and 4 cups heavy cream) was soft and had a smooth and creamy texture. It failed as a paneer for savory cooking but was the perfect consistency for making a dessert that I’d enjoyed eating but have never made myself–Kalokand. It’s a delicious, creamy and rich dessert that has no other flavor but the richness of milk. It’s one of those desserts better saved for those special occasions.
I’m not sure I’d have ever tried making Kalokand had I not had the great paneer making experiment. I’m so glad that I did. I’m posting this so that my mom can see the pictures (if my sister will actually show her this post) and tell me what she thinks. I want to make sure I did it right. It sure tasted amazing and like I remembered it tasting. It’s not as intimidating as I thought and it’s worth making on purpose.
Batch of Paneer made with whole milk and cream
Add paneer to reduced milk and cook for about 4-5 minutes before adding Pistachios
Add the brown sugar and continue cooking
When mixture resembles a soft dough take off heat
Pour into a greased plate or serving dish and garnish with pistachios
Cut into small squares when cooled
Here’s the recipe:
Kalokand
One batch of Paneer made with 4 cups whole milk and 4 cups of heavy cream
4 cups of 2% or whole milk
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped Pistachios
1 tablespoon chopped Pistachio for garnish
Make a batch of paneer using whole milk and heavy cream, don’t knead it. In a heavy bottom pan heat 4 cups of milk and bring it to a gentle boil. Stir often so it doesn’t burn. Reduce the milk volume in half to about 2 cups (takes about 12 minutes). Add the paneer into the reduced milk and continue cooking until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan (about 4-5 minutes). Add the pistachios and the dark brown sugar and cook another 3-4 minutes until mixture begins to dry out some more and resembles a soft dough. Pour into a greased plate or small pan so that mixture is about 1/2 inch thick. Smooth out the top and sprinkle the remaining Pistachios. When cooled, cut into small squares. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
I have eaten this delight and I am so happy to have the recipe thanks!
You are so welcome. If you ever make it, do let me know how they turn out for you. I am embarrassed to say I ALMOST ate the whole pan myself…
For sure I will! I think I will make a half a recipe!
If you do make a full recipe, just letting you know that they freeze well so you can freeze half and eat the other half!
and eat the rest of the batch frozen…hehehe
I know it!!!
hahaha, I know, right?
Hi Tahmina! I am proud to report that I followed your Paneer 101 and Subzi Paneer Masala posts and cooked up a quite awesome dish! I will post about it later with the photos!
Thank you!
Hooray. I LOVE to hear that. Can’t wait to see your post!
Ultimately!
Very very difficult Tahmina – but am sure more than worth the effort. The last image is the climax – am certain that they were as good as biyebari. What was the surrounding reactions???
Everyone ate them like it was the last meal on earth. It was like watching the movie “Gone in 60 seconds.”
I love anything with pistachios! And this looks so good!
I am glad that you sent a picture to your mom! Moms are tough critics though. Mine actually thinks I am the worst cook on the planet because I can’t make steamed, white rice properly. Even with a rice cooker — such an Asian failure!
Sigh. It always comes back to the rice!
Yes, no matter what part of Asia, it’s all about the rice. The proper cooking, eating and non-eating of it. You should see the disdain on my mom’s face when I mention the word “pasta” –Hilarious!
My mom is okay with pasta. As long as it is some kind of Chinese noodle. The Italian stuff just gets overboiled and smushy!
This sounds so interesting and all the ingredients are some faves. I’ll have to try it sometime. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you try it out one of these days. Really tasty! I can’t believe it only has three ingredients. Milk, sugar and pistachios. I was telling my gluten free clients that they should try this out as a dessert for sure!