Authentic Halwai Style Kalakand Recipe | Milk Cake Recipe

13 Apr Authentic Halwai Style Kalakand Recipe | Milk Cake Recipe

Last Updated on September 29, 2026 by blessmyfoodbypayal

Authentic Halwai Style Kalakand Recipe | Milk Cake Recipe with step wise pictorial and video method.

Kalakand, which is also called by the name Milk Cake is a traditional Indian sweet associated with Alwar City in Rajasthan.

As per Wikipedia, there’s a sweet shop in Alwar, Rajasthan being run by a sweet maker Baba Thakur Das, where Kalakand was invented in 1947 and it is still sold today.

The celebrity Chef Mr. Ranveer Brar has narrated in one of his video about the history of this soft and grainy kalakand milk cake.

He said that once Baba Thakur Das was boiling a huge quantity of milk, which accidentally curdled. But instead of throwing it away, he decided to keep cooking it until curdled milk turned into a thick brown fudge. And when tasted, it came out as a delicious sweet.

When some customers used to ask him about the unusual twist of this halwai style kalakand milk cake recipe, Mr. Das replied “yahi to kala hai” which means ‘this is an art.’

And since then this sweet was called by the name kalakand.

Now coming to this homemade kalakand milk cake recipe, let us tell you that there are very few of the Indian sweet recipes which don’t need elaborate ingredients, and Kalakand is one of them. It’s just milk and sugar basically and your traditional Indian milk cake recipe is ready to be enjoyed.

Here we would like to confess that the making process of this easy kalakand recipe like halwai is such a time demanding. And that is why most of the people would love to opt for Instant Kalakand Recipe. What to say of others, even we ourselves have prepared an instant version of kalakand in microwave using paneer and condensed milk, which gets ready in just 11 minutes.

Alright, instant version is not bad, rather that is too delicious but still we would like to add that the instant version stands no where in front the authentic kalakand recipe with milk. And more so, this fact also requires bit of the attention that sweets, and that too like Kalakand aren’t part of our routine consumption and cooking. 

Most of the people love to prepare sweets at home only during festivals like Diwali, rakshabandhan or Holi or on any of their personal special occasions. And as such, if you want to prepare your own kalakand, do go for this authentic kalakand recipe.

And one more important thing….though this authentic milk cake recipe at home requires lots of time, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep standing next to it all the way.  

While the milk is cooking, leave it and be engaged in what else you are doing. You just have to see the milk at intervals. But yes, during the last minutes when most of the liquid content is evaporated from milk, milk cake requires your continuous attention and presence and we think these 10-15 minutes can be afforded.

Now let us tell you that we have learnt the recipe of this authentic kalakand from a Halwai from whom we buy the milk everyday. So here we are summarizing the tips he has given :

• Always use 2 types of milk : Cow’s and Bafalo’s.
• Both the milks have to be full fat.
• Always use heavy bottomed pan baking this is a long hours recipe 
• Initially add bit of water to prevent milk from sticking.
• It is only the cow’s milk which needs to be curdled because cow’s milk is low fat, hence creates small granules. And kalakand with small milk granules tastes great rather than one with bigger granules.
• Add citric acid just by pinches but not all in one go. Firstly first pinch and then mix and so on. 
• Here curdling doesn’t mean milk solids and whey should be separated completely. We are not making paneer. Here, after curdling, you will be able to see only minute milk solids in the milk, while the whole milk look white only. There’s no greenish water like whey 
• Once cow’s milk is boiled and curdled, only then add bafalo’s milk.
• Bafalo’s milk needs no separate curdling. 
• Cook the milk on high heat initially. It is only after it begins to turn thick, reduce the heat.
• There’s no need to add desi ghee into it.
• Whole the mixture is extremely hot, immediately transfer it to a tin lined with greased butter paper.
• Take the mould of some metal, not plastic or glass.
• Make sure mould is thoroughly sealed so that kalakand doesn’t cool down quickly. Slow cooling helps in attaining deep colour, settle and develop flavours, firm up gradually, set evenly and stays soft, moist and slightly grainy.
• The stage up to which kalakand needs to be cooked is very important. If there’s too much of moisture and you set it, the kalakand will turn out to be quite watery. On the contrary, if you overcook it, the kalakand will come out as dry and crumbly. 
• So do read below how to make halwai style kalakand and try it at home. You are definitely going to fall in love with it.

Step Wise Pictorial recipe of Authentic Halwai Style Kalakand Recipe | Milk Cake Recipe

Take a heavy bottomed pan and add 2 tbsp water in it. The aim of water is to prevent the milk from sticking at the base.

Add cow’s milk.

Leave it for boiling for high heat.

Do stir at intervals to dissolve the malai being formed over the surface of milk.

When milk begins to boil, lower the heat and add 1 pinch of citric acid.

Mix well.

Again add second pinch of citric acid and mix.

Lastly add third pinch of citric acid and mix again.

You will find that tiny milk granules/particles/solids (whatever you call) will begin to form in the milk.

Turn the heat to high again and add full fat bafalo’s milk.

Also add sugar.

Now leave the milk to cook on high heat.

But don’t miss to stir at intervals.

Also do scrap the sides of the pan where malai keeps on forming and sticking.

As the milk continues to cook and reduce, its colour will gradually start changing as well.

Keep cooking on high heat.

A stage will arrive when milk will thicken a lot and start bubbling. Now reduce the heat to low – medium.

As it may splutter, use the lid as a shield to stir the milk. But keep cooking.

Soon milk will turn into solid and most of the liquid is evaporated. This can be identified by stirring it. The milk solid will start leaving the base of the pan.

Add cardamom powder and mix well.

Immediately trader it to a box (preferably metalic and high in hight) lined with greased butter paper.

Kalakand which cools down slowly turns more delicious, hence we have put this box in another box.

Now wrap it in a towel. Purpose is only to slow down the cooling process.

Keep aside for 8-10 hours or overnight.

In the morning, kalakand is all set in the box.

Run the knife on the edges and take the kalakand out.

Cut into pieces of your choice and enjoy. 

NOTES

1. Do take a heavy bottomed pan as the milk needs to be cooked for hours.
2. Use only full fat milk.
3. On average, 1 pinch of citric acid is enough for 1 litre of milk but the quantity of citric acid heavily depends upon the formation of tiny milk solids. So citric acid may be used less or more than 3 pinches, as suggested.

Authentic Halwai Style Kalakand Recipe | Milk Cake Recipe – Recipe Card

Authentic Halwai Style Kalakand Recipe | Milk Cake Recipe

blessmyfoodbypayal

This Authentic Halwai Style Kalakand Recipe delivers rich, grainy, melt-in-mouth milk cake with traditional mithai-shop flavour, texture, and simplicity.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 minute min

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Sweets

Cuisine Indian, Rajasthani

Servings 750 grams

Ingredients

  

1 cup = 250 ml

• 1.5 litre Cow's milk (full fat)
• 1.5 litre Bafalo's milk (full fat)
• 300 gram sugar
• 3 pinches citric acid
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions

 

• Take a heavy bottomed pan and add 2 tbsp water in it. The aim of water is to prevent the milk from sticking at the base.
• Add cow's milk.
• Leave it for boiling for high heat.
• Do stir at intervals to dissolve the malai being formed over the surface of milk.
• When milk begins to boil, lower the heat and add 1 pinch of citric acid.
• Mix well.
• Again add second pinch of citric acid and mix.
• Lastly add third pinch of citric acid and mix again.
• You will find that tiny milk granules/particles/solids (whatever you call) will begin to form in the milk.
• Turn the heat to high again and add full fat bafalo's milk.
• Also add sugar.
• Now leave the milk to cook on high heat.
• But don't miss to stir at intervals.
• Also do scrap the sides of the pan where malai keeps on forming and sticking.
• As the milk continues to cook and reduce, its colour will gradually start changing as well.
• Keep cooking on high heat.
• A stage will arrive when milk will thicken a lot and start bubbling. Now reduce the heat to low - medium.
• As it may splutter, use the lid as a shield to stir the milk. But keep cooking.
• Soon milk will turn into solid and most of the liquid is evaporated. This can be identified by stirring it. The milk solid will start leaving the base of the pan.
• Add cardamom powder and mix well.
• Immediately trader it to a box (preferably metalic and high in hight) lined with greased butter paper.
• Kalakand which cools down slowly turns more delicious, hence we have put this box in another box.
• Now wrap it in a towel. Purpose is only to slow down the cooling process.
• Keep aside for 8-10 hours or overnight.
• In the morning, kalakand is all set in the box.
• Run the knife on the edges and take the kalakand out.
• Cut into pieces of your choice and enjoy.

Video

Notes

Do take a heavy bottomed pan as the milk needs to be cooked for hours.

Use only full fat milk.

On average, 1 pinch of citric acid is enough for 1 litre of milk but the quantity of citric acid heavily depends upon the formation of tiny milk solids. So citric acid may be used less or more than 3 pinches, as suggested.

Keyword authentic kalakand recipe, halwai style kalakand recipe