The festive season in india has started and sweets are must in each occasion. Various types of sweets are being prepared during these festivals. Today I am sharing a popular and delicious sweet, Milk cake. It’s a traditional sweet or mithai in most part of the northern and western part of India. It’s little different from another famous mithai Kalakand, which is more popular in East part of India. Kalakand is almost white in colour as chena and concentrated milk is used to make kalakand. But milk cake is made by concentrating milk to more than half and then curdling it and reducing again.

Recipe

• Cooking time: 3 hour
• Serves: 10 servings
• Difficulty level: medium
• Course: Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 litre full fat Milk
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 tablespoon Ghee+ 1 teaspoon more to grease the container
• 1/2 of a fresh Lemon juice
• Some pistachios to garnish

Method

In a heavy bottomed pan pour in 2 litre of full fat milk and bring to boil.

Cook it in medium heat, stirring frequently until milk reduces to more than half. Be careful while cooking and be sure that milk don’t get burnt from sides or from the bottom.

The consistency of the milk should be little thick. You can see some milk solids mixed with milk. The colour of the milk also will change due to caramelization of natural sugar from the milk.

Now squeeze in half of a lemon to curdle the milk. Don’t add more lemon juice to completely separate whey from the milk. The curdle milk should be soft.

Stir milk frequently and continue to cook until water or whey evaporates completely.

When water evaporates, add in 1/2 cup of sugar, stir and continue to cook. If you like, you can add more sugar according to your taste. I like moderate sweet so added 1/2 cup sugar.

Cook until the mixture again becomes thick. You have to stir continuously to avoid burning.

Now add in 2 tbsp of ghee and mix well. Cook for further 2-3 minutes. Whole cooking process should be done in medium low heat.

When the mixture becomes thick and water completely evaporates, your mithai or milk cake is ready.

Grease a round steel container with little ghee and transfer the mixture.

Cover the container with a lid and wrap with a towel.Keep in a cold surface (on the marble top/floor) for about an hour or two. This will help to get desired colour of the milk cake. After resting time keep the sweet in the refrigerator to cool.

At the time of serving, take out the container from refrigerator. Cut in desired shape and remove from the container. Garnish with some crushed pistachios.

Enjoy with your family and friends.