AuthorPooja SundariaCategoryDesserts, Indian SweetThis Indian sweet is an entirely milk-based dessert and good full-fat milk is a key to make the best Indian Milk cake. For this recipe, the creamier the milk, the better texture it is. This very elegant yet delicious sweet requires only 4 basic ingredients that are easily available at home:
• Full Cream milk
• Sugar
• Ghee
• Milk Coagulant
Kalakand or Alwar ka mava has its origin in the city of Alwar from where its popularity has spread across the globe.
Alwar Kalakand or Alwar ka Kalakand or Alwar ka Milk Cake as this is more popularly known as is created by the curdling of milk giving it its beautiful brown coloured centre.
Alwar Ka Mawa cake is a sweet-milk fudge with a grainy texture made with solidified cream milk, sugar, ghee, and some acidic agent. Milk is reduced to 1/3rd, and then it is cooked further with some milk coagulant. Once reduced it is then cooked with sugar, and lastly, some ghee is added to this thick milk solid. This sweet is entirely cooked in a heavy bottom pan. This mithai is also known as Kalakand.
Best coagulant for milk cake:
For this sweet usually, alum powder is used to curdle the milk. But you can also use any from the below list:
• teaspoon lemon juice
• teaspoon citric acid powder
• cup yogurt
The texture and the size of milk protein granules vary with the different types of coagulant agents and their amount.
Some tips and tricks:
Milk cake's ideal texture is grainy. If you want grainy, yet melt-in-mouth and soft milk cake then you need to make sure you add only a little coagulant in the milk. If you would add so much acidic agent, then the milk cake would turn rubbery and chewy. Always use full-fat milk.
If you want a good grainy texture of milk cake, then make sure you are adding lemon juice only after the milk has reduced to 1/3 of its quantity.
So enjoy this festive season this very special mithai from Rajasthan - Alwar ka mava or milk cake.
Ingredients
Instructions
Take milk in a large heavy bottom pot and bring it to a boil.
Now boil this and keep mixing and whisking. Scrape the sides of the pot and add it back into the milk.
Boil till it is reduced to 1/3rd. After reducing, milk should have grainy fat granules. Now, add coagulant (acidic agent) and keep stirring over low heat. After 2-3 minutes, you will notice that the milk would start to curdle and little whey would be separated. This is the consistency we are looking for in this milk cake recipe.
Stir the milk well and keep cooking the mixture until whey almost completely evaporates.
Now add sugar in four small batches. Add the first batch and mix well until sugar is dissolved completely.
Cook the mixture until the mixture has a thick consistency. The mixture would turn light brown in colour after all the moisture evaporates.
Now add in ghee little by little and continue cooking on a low flame till it thickens and leaves the sides.
At this point, milk will release a nice fragrance and a light to dark brown colour. Turn off the flame and let it cool a little.
Grease a pan with ghee to set the milk cake. Pour the mixture into the pan. Spread evenly and flatten.
No wrap this in foil and wrap it in the towel.
Leave to rest for 4 to 6 hours.
Unmould and garnish with edible silver leaf and pistachios. Slice and serve.
Ingredients
Directions
Take milk in a large heavy bottom pot and bring it to a boil.
Now boil this and keep mixing and whisking. Scrape the sides of the pot and add it back into the milk.
Boil till it is reduced to 1/3rd. After reducing, milk should have grainy fat granules. Now, add coagulant (acidic agent) and keep stirring over low heat. After 2-3 minutes, you will notice that the milk would start to curdle and little whey would be separated. This is the consistency we are looking for in this milk cake recipe.
Stir the milk well and keep cooking the mixture until whey almost completely evaporates.
Now add sugar in four small batches. Add the first batch and mix well until sugar is dissolved completely.
Cook the mixture until the mixture has a thick consistency. The mixture would turn light brown in colour after all the moisture evaporates.
Now add in ghee little by little and continue cooking on a low flame till it thickens and leaves the sides.
At this point, milk will release a nice fragrance and a light to dark brown colour. Turn off the flame and let it cool a little.
Grease a pan with ghee to set the milk cake. Pour the mixture into the pan. Spread evenly and flatten.
No wrap this in foil and wrap it in the towel.
Leave to rest for 4 to 6 hours.
Unmould and garnish with edible silver leaf and pistachios. Slice and serve.