Kalakand, sometimes called “milk cake,” is an Indian fudge-like sweet or “barfi” that’s usually made with heavily reduced milk as its base. The reduced milk sets into a soft rectangle with a slight hint of graininess that comes from the addition of “chenna”, the Hindi term for split milk, or, in more modern versions, from paneer, ricotta or cottage cheese. To create the exact texture of a kalakand in my vegan version I experimented with a number of ingredients before returning to my favorite substitute for paneer: extra firm tofu. Tofu adds that softly grainy texture while keeping the kalakand velvety and delicious overall, as it should be. It also cuts through the heavy sweetness of the condensed milk, which we use as the base in this recipe, making the vegan kalakand perfectly, but not overwhelmingly, sweet. Besides the vegan condensed milk and tofu the only other ingredients you will need for this recipe are green cardamom powder and a few nuts for garnish. It couldn’t be any easier, so try it today!
Why you will love this vegan kalakand
It has all the deliciousness of the regular kalakand, but without the dairy. Kalakand has always been one of my favorite Indian sweets, and this vegan version tastes as good as any kalakand bought from a halwai. It needs just four ingredients. You can make vegan condensed milk or use canned vegan condensed milk for this recipe. The only other ingredients needed are firm tofu and ground cardamom. And a few nuts for garnish. It is quite easy to make. You do need to put in some elbow grease to stir the kalakand frequently as it reduces, but that’s about as tough as it gets.
Ingredients
3 cups vegan condensed milk. If you use my recipe for homemade condensed milk, just double it, or use three cans of storebought vegan condensed milk. My kalakand appears a little darker because I used maple syrup and coconut sugar in the condensed milk, which further darken the milk when you reduce it. You can use white sugar to make the condensed milk, which would keep the kalakand much lighter in color. 12 oz extra firm or super firm tofu. Don’t use silken tofu because it will disintegrate too much into the milk and not give that grainy texture texture. 1 teaspoon ground green cardamom. For best results powder only the black seeds, not the green peels, of the cardamom pod. 2 tablespoons nuts for garnish. Use one or a combination of almonds, pistachios and walnuts. You can also use a few strands of saffron or dried rose petals for garnish.
How to make vegan kalakand
Crumble the tofu into small bits. Place the condensed milk in a wide, nonstick saucepan. Add to it the crumbled tofu. Mix well and set over low heat.
Stir the mixture frequently as it reduces to ensure nothing sticks or browns. Continue doing this for about 30 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and you have a very thick mixture that still appears moist. Line a small baking pan with parchment paper.Coat the parchment paper thoroughly with oil or melted vegan butter. Pour the kalakand mixture into the pan and press with the back of the ladle to form an even layer. Sprinkle on the nuts and press them in gently using the ladle or a spoon. Refrigerate the kalakand for 3-4 hours or overnight. Lift out the kalakand using the parchment paper and slice into rectangles or squares.
More delicious vegan Indian sweets
Vegan Gulab Jamun Vegan Kaju Katli Vegan Barfi Vegan Mishti Doi Vegan Cashew Halwa Vegan Rabri Vegan Malpua
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