Belgaum Kunda Recipe (Belgavi Kunda) – This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps support the content creation process. I appreciate your support!
Belagavi Kunda is made with just three ingredients, it’s a sweet treat with a lot of history and is an important part of Karnataka’s Culinary History. It’s not just a dessert; it’s a special recipe!
About Belgaum Kunda Recipe
Belgaum Kunda is a sweet dish from the northern region of Karnataka in India. Made by reducing and caramelizing milk, creating a rich and dense texture with a distinct brown color.
In some regions, it is referred to as milk cake, paal kova, therattipal, kalakand, etc. While all these sweet recipes might look visually similar, each has a different technique or cooking style to get the final result.
It is a simple dessert recipe, made with few easily available ingredients but it requires a lot of time and patience. So, I suggest you cook this when you have a lot of time.
Trust me, it will be worth it! 😊
Why You’ll Love This
- A classic, traditional recipe
- Sweet caramelized goodness
- Warm and comforting flavors
- Can be prepared in advance
- Perfect for any occasion
Belgaum Kunda with Jaggery
Traditionally, Kunda is sweetened with sugar, but I am using jaggery as it adds a nice golden brown color to the dish.
You can use a mix of these sweeteners – half jaggery and half sugar or just sugar. The choice is yours!
Belgaum Kunda Recipe Ingredients
This milk dessert recipe requires the following ingredients:
- Milk – Full-fat milk is the best choice for this recipe. It gives a nice creamy texture, and dense and luscious consistency to the dessert.
- Jaggery – is used to add sweetness to the dish. You can substitute it with regular sugar or brown sugar.
- Yogurt (Curd) – is used to split the milk and curdle it to get the grainy texture of milk solids. You can also use lemon juice or vinegar to split the milk but I prefer yogurt as it is creamy and does not add a sour bitter taste.
- Cardamom powder – is optional to use. It is only used to add a nice aroma to the dessert.
- Nuts – for garnishing and adding a crunch.
How to Make Belagavi Kunda
Step 1 – Boil and Simmer the Milk
Heat milk in a heavy-bottomed pan or pot on low to medium flame. Bring the milk to a boil. Keep stirring and scraping the milk solids regularly from the bottom and sides of the pan while cooking.
Reduce the heat to low when the milk comes to a boil. Simmer the milk and keep stirring continuously to avoid sticking to the bottom.
Step 2 – Add the Yogurt
After simmering for about 10-15 minutes and the milk thickens slightly, add yogurt. Keep stirring continuously.
Continue stirring as the milk will start to curdle and the whey will separate from the milk solids. Keep stirring regularly and continue to boil on medium flame.
Step 3 – Sweeten the Mixture
Add 1/4 cup of jaggery or sugar to the curdled milk mixture. Continue stirring.
Step 4 – Make the Jaggery Syrup
In another saucepan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of jaggery or sugar on low heat. Do not add any water when caramelizing the sweetener.
Let the jaggery or sugar melt and caramelize to a golden brown color. Don’t let the syrup burn or overcook, it will add a bitter taste.
Step 5 – Let the Mixture Thicken
Add the prepared syrup to the milk mixture. Combine everything well. Keep the flame low and be careful while pouring the syrup as it may splutter.
Stir the mixture continuously until the liquid is almost evaporated and starts to thicken forming a pudding-like consistency.
Step 6 – Garnish & Serve
Once the mixture thickens, add cardamom powder and mix it well. Sprinkle some chopped almonds, pistachios, and cashew nuts.
Keep cooking and stirring for another two minutes or until the Kunda resembles a solid mass, then turn off the heat.
Serving Suggestions
- Garnish with chopped almonds, pistachios, cashews, or dried rose petals on top of the warm Belagavi Kunda to add some crunch.
- For special occasions, you can decorate it with silver leaf (silver varak) for an elegant touch.
- Usually, it is served warm in a bowl but you can also serve it as a barfi. To make barfi, spread the warm mixture on a greased plate or tray. Let it cool down overnight and then cut it into squares.
Storage & Reheating
To store the Belgaum Kunda, let it cool down to room temperature and then transfer it to a clean, airtight container. It stays fresh for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
For reheating, heat a non-stick pan on low heat and transfer the Kunda to the pan. Stir continuously to prevent sticking and heat it for 5-6 minutes.
To reheat in the microwave, transfer a portion of the Kunda to a microwave-safe dish. Heat it in intervals, without overcooking and making it dry.
Tips & Tricks
- Adjust the sweetness according to your preference.
- Scrape the milk solids from the bottom and sides of the pan regularly while boiling the milk. It will thicken the milk and also prevent it from burning.
- Achieve the right jaggery or sugar syrup consistency. Don’t let it burn or overcook.
- When adding the caramelized syrup the milk might splash around so be careful.
- Cook till the milk solids get a lovely golden brown color.
- Be careful towards the end to avoid overcooking, which may give the milk mixture a dry texture.
- You can substitute cardamom powder with nutmeg powder or rose water.
Check out More Dessert Recipes!
- Coconut Almond Ladoo
- Easy Mango Coconut Burfi
- Make Perfect Belgaum Kunda at Home!
- Puran Poli | Sweet Lentil Flatbreads
- Kada Prasad | Atta Halwa
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I really hope you give this Belgaum Kunda recipe (Belagavi Kunda with Jaggery) a try and love it as much as we do! Don’t forget to leave a star rating ★ in the comment section below. Your feedback means a lot! 💬
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Happy cooking, dessert lover! ✨
Belgaum Kunda | Belagavi Kunda
Equipment
- 1 pan
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 1 litre milk
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup jaggery or sugar
- 1/4 cup nuts chopped
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder optional
For jaggery syrup
- 1/4 cup jaggery or sugar
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pan or pot, add milk and bring it to a boil.1 litre milk
- Once the milk reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer. Keep stirring continuously to avoid sticking to the bottom.
- After simmering for about 10-15 minutes and the milk thickens slightly, add yogurt. Continue stirring as the milk will start to curdle.1/2 cup yogurt
- Keep stirring at intervals as the mixture gradually starts to thicken and change color. Cook for 5-8 minutes.
- Now, add 1/4 cup of jaggery to the curdled milk. Mix everything well. Cook till the jaggery melts.1/4 cup jaggery or sugar
- In a separate saucepan, add the jaggery. Cook till the jaggery melts and gets a caramelized brown color.1/4 cup jaggery or sugar
- Add the jaggery syrup to the curdled milk. Combine everything well.
- Once the mixture turns a rich brown color and attains a thick consistency, add cardamom powder. Mix well.1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- Keep stirring until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and attains a (pudding) halwa-like consistency.
- Garnish with chopped nuts and serve warm.1/4 cup nuts
Notes
- Use full-fat milk for this recipe.
- Scrap the milk solids from bottom and sides of the pan while cooking and stir regularly.
- Adjust the quantity of sugar or jaggery as per taste.
- Keep the flame to the lowest possible setting while adding caramelized syrup to curdled milk.
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