Khoya

Description

Khoya / Mawa, is a dairy product used as a base for making many sweets and gravies. Milk is boiled and reduced to semi- solid state, which looks like a thick sticky mass. Based on the consitency, khoya can be classified into 3 types.

1. Firm Khoya / Bhatti - Milk boiled and reduced to a thick paste and later molded to make it firm, used for burfis.

2. Soft Khoya / Chikna - Milk boiled annd reduced to a sticky paste, used for halwas.

3. Granulated Khoya / Daan-e-daar - Milk boiled and curdled and then reduced to thick mass, used for certain sweets like kalakand and mawa laddus.

Making home made Khoya / Mawa / Khoa (unsweetened) is easy and economical but time consuming.

Ingredients
1 litre

Whole milk
1 no

Thick bottomed pan

Instructions

Take a heavy thick bottomed sauce pan and bring the milk to one boil and reduce to simmer over medium flame. This whole process should take about 2 hours.

Simmering process for  1 hour and 45 minutes.

Cooling time   15 minutes.


After the first 45 minutes it should have reduced to half the quantity and look as shown.


After 1 hour and  30 minutes it should reduced further and look like a thin paste. This is the soft Khoya.


Care should be taken for the last 15 minutes as the whole thing could burn off soon. So, keep a close watch and stir frequently till this stage is completed. This is the Firm Khoya. Once done switch off and tranfer the content to clean dry container and let cool for 15 minutes. Refridgerate until next use.


Notes

If the refridgerated khoya is too hard for any recipe, then pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds. This way it can be softened to bring it back to room temperature.

One liter milk would yield 200 grams (approx) or 1 cup of Khoya.

Though khoya can be made from Milk power, Ricotta cheese, Evaporated milk and condensed milk, the most natural form is to boil milk and reducing to solidify. This process may be time consuming but would taste far better than the instant.