Kalakand is a popular Indian dessert, generally made by reducing milk and sugar by boiling it. I have made this version by using Ricotta Cheese and have flavored it with Kesar/Saffron. It is one of the easiest and yummiest dessert ever when made using Ricotta cheese, and cooked in Microwave oven. Don't believe me? Try it out for yourself :)
Soak the saffron in 2 teaspoons of warm milk. Keep it aside
Take a microwave safe glass utensil (preferably square or rectangle) and add the ricotta cheese and condensed milk to it. Whisk well. Put it in microwave and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Sing & dance while the microwave is doing all the work.
After 5 minutes, take it out from microwave, mix well with a whisk, especially the sides, put it back in the microwave, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Continue on with the dance!
Take out and mix well, microwave for another 3 minutes, this time covered. Dance.
Take out and mix well, microwave for another 2 minutes, covered. You can take a break from the dancing this time, and do all the pistachio chopping etc. Gotcha there.
Remove from microwave, mix well. Add the soaked saffron with milk which was soaked earlier. The mixture needs to be microwaved 6 minutes, uncovered this time, but this time at an interval of 2 minutes each. That is, microwave for 2 minutes, remove, mix well, microwave another 2 minutes, remove, mix well and microwave for the last 2 minutes.. phewwwww! Add cardamom powder, rose water and give it a nice mix.
Press it down and smoothen the surface. Garnish it with the edible silver foil. Add chopped pistachios, dried rose petals (optional). Let it set in a refrigerator for about an hour (optional), and cut into square pieces. Voilaaa Kesar Kalakand is ready! Finish it up with a happy dance!!