Go Back
–+ servings
Orange kalakand served in shot glasses and topped with orange segments and chopped nuts
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Orange Kalakand

A creamy, zesty, and super moist version of the popular Bengali sweet, Orange Kalakand is the perfect for the festive season ✨
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 6 people
Author: Richa

Ingredients

For paneer (chena)

  • 1 ¼ litres fresh cow milk
  • 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar

For Orange Syrup

  • ½ cup orange juice approx 2 ripe oranges
  • ¼ cup sugar

For orange kalakand

  • ½ cup condensed milk
  • 1 tablespoon milk powder
  • 2 tablespoons sugar optional
  • 1 cup ripe orange segments from 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon pista bits

Instructions

Making paneer

  • Prep a strainer by placing a cheesecloth over it to collect the paneer. Set aside.
  • Heat milk in a pot on medium heat.
    1 ¼ litres fresh cow milk
  • Mix vinegar in 1 tablespoon of water and set aside.
    1 ½ tablespoons vinegar
  • Once milk starts boiling, add vinegar mixed in water. Begin to stir.
  • Continue stirring while milk starts to curdle and make sure that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • After the milk has curdled completely, you will see the whey being quite clear and not milky.
  • Switch off the heat and immediately pour the entire mixture into the strainer lined with cheesecloth.
  • Pour cold water on the paneer and rinse two times.
  • Gather the edges of the cheesecloth, squeeze out excess water from the paneer, place a heavy object on it for 10 minutes to remove the moisture and set aside.
  • This yields about 1 ¼ cups (200 grams) of paneer all of which is used in the recipe.

Making orange syrup

  • Add orange juice & sugar in a pan and cook for about 7 minutes till it reaches a honey-like consistency. Set aside.
    ½ cup orange juice, ¼ cup sugar

Making orange kalakand

  • Add paneer, condensed milk, milk powder & sugar in a pan and cook on medium heat. See note 2
    ½ cup condensed milk, 1 tablespoon milk powder, 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Keep stirring often to make sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
  • Cook the kalakand mixture for 8-9 minutes until it starts leaving the sides of the pan.
  • Switch off the heat, add 2 tablespoons of orange syrup and mix well.
  • To serve the kalakand, we’ve used shot glasses. Add a tablespoon of kalakand mix as the first layer, top with orange segments and then another layer of kalakand. Finish with some orange syrup, more orange segments and pista and refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving.
    1 cup ripe orange segments, 1 tablespoon pista bits

Notes

  1. Paneer must be made fresh for this recipe. Store bought one do not work well.
  2. Cow milk is ideal for this recipe as it gives us soft paneer due to lower fat content. If buffalo milk is used, paneer comes out dry & tough which is not ideal for use in such desserts.
  3. Any variety of ripe oranges may be used in the recipe.
  4. Use a wide open pan so that the kalakand cooks uniformly.
  5. You can also serve this in a wide dish and layer the kalakand with fresh orange segments but I love serving this in short glasses for a bite sized dessert experience.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 0.2mg