Milkcake (মিল্ককেক)

 **Milkcake** is a traditional Indian sweet made primarily from milk, sugar, and ghee. It is dense, slightly caramelized, and has a grainy texture. Here's a simple recipe to make milkcake at home.

### Ingredients:

- **Full-fat milk** – 1.5 liters

- **Sugar** – ¾ cup

- **Lemon juice** – 1-2 tablespoons (for curdling)

- **Ghee (clarified butter)** – 2 tablespoons

- **Cardamom powder** – ½ teaspoon

- **Chopped pistachios** – for garnishing (optional)

### Instructions:

#### Step 1: Preparing the milk

1. **Boil the milk:** Pour 1.5 liters of full-fat milk into a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. **Curdle the milk:** Once the milk starts boiling, reduce the heat and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir the milk gently. It will begin to curdle. If needed, add a bit more lemon juice until the milk is fully curdled.

3. **Strain the whey:** Once the milk solids (chhena) separate from the whey, strain the mixture using a muslin cloth or a fine sieve. Discard the whey or save it for other uses.

4. **Cook the chhena:** Put the curdled milk back into the pan, and cook it on low heat, stirring continuously.

#### Step 2: Adding sugar and cooking

5. **Add sugar:** After the milk mixture thickens slightly and starts to turn light brown, add ¾ cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of ghee.

6. **Caramelize:** Stir continuously until the mixture thickens further and develops a slightly caramelized color and grainy texture. The mixture will begin to leave the sides of the pan.

#### Step 3: Setting the milkcake

7. **Add cardamom:** Once the milk mixture has thickened and browned, add ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder for flavor.

8. **Transfer to a greased tray:** Grease a small tray or plate with ghee, and pour the mixture into it. Flatten the top with a spatula.

9. **Cool and set:** Let it cool at room temperature for about 1-2 hours, until the milkcake sets. You can also refrigerate it for faster setting.

#### Step 4: Garnishing and serving

10. **Garnish:** Optionally, garnish the milkcake with chopped pistachios or other nuts.

11. **Cut and serve:** Once set, cut the milkcake into square or diamond-shaped pieces.

Enjoy your homemade milkcake!