Mango Kalakand : Mango Burfi

To begin making the Mango Kalakand recipe, firstly, boil the milk in a vessel and when it comes to a boil, add an acidic ingredient like lemon juice or vinegar to curdle the milk. Once the milk starts curdling, turn the heat off. Strain it in a colander, using a muslin cloth to separate the whey and chhena (cottage cheese). Wash it under tap water to let the sourness of lemon or vinegar reduce and squeeze it well to remove the excess water. And your paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is ready. Do not knead the paneer.

Peel the mangoes, extract the pulp from the mangoes, and discard the seeds. Prepare mango pureé by blending them in a grinder. Take a wok/kadhai add mango puree in it and heat on medium flame. Keep stirring the mango pulp and bring it to boil. Stir it for 5 to 6 minutes till mango pulp is cooked and thickened. Reduce mixture till the consistency is thick. Then add sugar to it. If your mangoes are too sweet, then add less sugar. I added 1 cup of sugar to my mango kalakand. Continue stirring in the pan until the mixture becomes a soft lump.

Now add crumbled cottage cheese in the mixture. Combine it well. Stir the mix slowly and well for 10 to 15 minutes. When you will find the mixture starts getting a little dry and got mixed up properly, switch off the flame. Let it cool for 5 minutes.

Now take a greased tray or a container lined with butter paper and pour the mixture in the tray. Pat it down with a flat spatula or spoon to free the mango kalakand from being bubbly with air bubbles. Decorate it with nuts or dry fruits of your choice. I added some thinly sliced almonds and pistachios on my mango-kalakand mix. Let it cool for about an hour to room temperature then keep Mango Kalakand in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours to get it set. Cut Mango kalakand into your desired shapes.