Khoya, also known as Mawa or Khoa, is a key ingredient for making most Indian sweets, especially in the Northern parts of the country. These dried, evaporated milk solids are made using just one ingredient: milk. Learn how to make this simple ingredient for yourself at home using the traditional method!
Khoya is dried evaporated milk solids. The milk is slowly simmered in a large iron kadai, till all its moisture evaporates and it reduces to solids. In Indian cooking, especially in Northern parts of India, khoya forms a base of almost all sweets. Depending on the type of khoya, which can range from being hard to soft to granular, they are used accordingly in sweets. Khoya is also added to curry recipes.
After I got some requests to post the method of making khoya, I did decide to make a few khoa based sweets for this Diwali. Hence I thought its better I prepare khoya at home and add a post too. A few of the Sweets recipes where khoya is added are:
Usually I buy khoya from outside. It saves time and one does not have to go through the long process of cooking. However, if you prepare the khoya as a side task, with you doing something else in the kitchen, like chopping, preparing some other recipes etc, then it does not look like a time consuming method.
Since the milk gets reduced on its own on a low flame and all you have to do is stir and scrape at intervals. Its not tedious. So I do suggest to prepare khoya simultaneously when you are cooking or doing some other chore in the kitchen. This is multi tasking and you have to be attentive 🙂
The pan to be used for making khoya, should be thick bottomed or an overall thick pan or kadai. This is so that the milk does not get burned or browned from the bottom. If this happens, then whatever effort you have put, goes waste.
The pan has to be deep too, so that the milk does not fall out, while simmering. I used my large non stick kadai to make the khoya. Non stick works very well when making products like khoya.
This is not a recipe as such, but a method sharing on how to make khoya. You can use any amount of milk to prepare khoya.
The milk has to be fresh and full fat milk. Whole milk gives better results. 1.25 litres of milk yielded 250 gms of khoya. Depending on the quality and fat content, the khoya yield can be less or more. You can even make khoya from 1 litre to 2 litres of milk.
Like all homemade stuff, homemade khoya is also 100 times better than the store brought ones. There is just the richness & goodness of milk in this homemade khoya. No additives or preservatives are added.
This khoya stays good for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. in the freezer, you can keep for 6 to 8 days.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Khoya or Mawa
1. Pour milk in a large thick bottomed pan and place the pan on the stovetop.
2. Bring milk to gentle boil first on a low to medium heat.
3. Then lower the heat and simmer the milk. Stir at intervals whilst the milk is simmering.
4. Consistency of the milk after 23 minutes right from the beginning.
5. The milk will froth many times, while it is being simmered.
6. So when you see this happening, with a spatula stir the milk.
7. Scrape the milk solids from the sides and add them to the milk. The consistency after 1 hour 40 minutes. The milk has reduced considerably.
8. Stir and continue simmering.
9. You can see below the consistency like that of rabri.
10. More simmering and this is what we get after 2 hours. Just a few minutes more 🙂
11. After 3 minutes.
12. Towards the last 7 to 8 minutes, you will see bubbles bursting in the reduced and condensed milk. At this stage, continuously stir the reduced milk.
If you don’t then the bottom will get browned or burnt. The bubbles signify the presence of moisture in the reduced milk. Stir and simmer till you see no bubbles in the milk solids.
13. When you see no bubbles bursting in the reduced milk, its time to switch off the flame. Took me 2 hours and 8 minutes overall on a low flame. Side by side I was prepping and cooking veg fried rice along with mushroom manchurian.
14. Collect the khoya or mawa in a bowl. With a spatula, scrape the milk solids from the sides and add these to the bowl. Cover the bowl and let the khoya cool at room temperature. Then you can refrigerate it.
15. Add this homemade khoya or mawa as required while making various Indian sweets or Indian curries.
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Khoya Recipe | Mawa Recipe
Homemade mawa or khoya recipe – a traditional method of preparing khoa or khoya at home.
Cook Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
Pour the milk in a large thick bottomed pan and place the pan on the stove top.
Bring milk to gentle boil first on a low to medium flame.
Then lower the flame and simmer the milk. Stir at intervals whilst the milk is simmering.
The milk will froth many times, while its being simmered. So when you see this happening, with a spatula stir the milk.
Scrape the milk solids from the sides and add to the milk.
The milk will continue to reduce and thicken as its being simmered on a low flame.
A stage will reach when the reduced milk will resemble rabri (an indian sweet).
Continue to simmer and stir.
Towards the end when the milk has reduced much, you will see bubbles bursting in the reduced milk. At this point continuously stir. If you don’t then the reduced milk will get browned or burnt. The bubbles are due to moisture in the milk.
When you see no bubbles in the reduced milk, its time to switch off the flame. It took me 2 hours and 8 minutes overall on a low flame.
With a spatula, scrape the milk solids from the sides and add these to the bowl. Cover the bowl and let the khoya cool at room temperature. Then you can refrigerate it.
Add this homemade khoya or mawa as required while making various indian sweets or indian curries.
Nutrition Facts
Khoya Recipe | Mawa Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 3
% Daily Value*
Sodium 2mg0%
Potassium 6mg0%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Calcium 6mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Khoya Recipe post from the blog archives first published on October 2014 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
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