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Homemade khoya or mawa made with milk powder makes the perfect khoya substitute! You just need 3 ingredients and 5 minutes to make this instant recipe. Use in an array of Indian sweets or curries.
Table of contents
- What is mawa/khoya?
- Instant Mawa with milk powder Ingredients
- How to make homemade khoya with milk powder
- Homemade khoya storage
- Recipes using Mawa/Khoya
Mawa is easy and quick to make using milk powder, ricotta cheese or condensed milk at home. It is a great alternative to buying mawa from the store.
In this recipe, I have made mawa with just 3 ingredients – milk powder, ghee and milk. It takes just a couple of minutes and fresh khoya is ready to use in your favourite Indian recipes. It makes chikna khoya or sticky khoya which is more smooth in texture.
You can also follow this homemade mawa with ricotta cheese recipe too.
What is mawa/khoya?
Mawa, also known as khoya, is a crucial ingredient in various Indian desserts, imparting a rich and creamy texture to sweet dishes.
It is essentially milk solids obtained by slowly evaporating moisture from full-fat milk over low heat.
Traditionally, mawa is made by simmering whole milk in an open iron pan, reducing it until only the milk solids remain. The process requires patience and constant stirring to prevent burning.
To make mawa at home, you can start by heating full-fat milk in a heavy-bottomed pan until it thickens, then adding a tablespoon of ghee and lemon juice to aid the separation of milk solids. Stir the mixture continuously until it reaches a dough-like consistency.
This homemade mawa can be used in a variety of Indian sweets like gulab jamun, gajar ka halwa, and mawa cake.
There are different types of khoya, such as batti khoya (hard khoya), chikna mawa, daanedar khoya, and hariyali khoya (soft khoya), each offering a unique texture. Daanedar khoya works well in making barfi due to its grainy texture.
If you prefer not to make mawa at home, it is available in Indian grocery stores, or you can explore substitutes like unsalted ricotta cheese.
The versatility of mawa extends to both sweet and savory dishes, making it an indispensable element in Indian cuisine.
Instant Mawa with milk powder Ingredients
Milk Powder – use full cream milk powder. It is available in south Asian and major grocery stores.
Ghee – I use desi ghee. Feel free to use unsalted butter.
Milk – full fat dairy milk gives the creamiest results but I often make mawa with semi skimmed or even skimmed milk
How to make homemade khoya with milk powder
Heat a heavy based pan on low heat and add the ghee.
Once the ghee is warm, tip in the milk powder and mix well.
Keeping the heat low, continuously stir the milk powder until it is roasted – approximately 2-3 minutes. The milk powder should not change in colour.
Add in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens to form a mass. It will be sticky and glistening with ghee.
Remove the from the heat or take the mawa out of the pan to prevent it cooking further.
Use directly in recipes or allow to cool completely before storing away.
Homemade khoya storage
Storing homemade mawa properly is essential to maintain its freshness and quality.
Refrigeration
- Allow the freshly made mawa to cool completely at room temperature before attempting to store it.
- Transfer the cooled mawa into an airtight container. Store the airtight container of mawa in the refrigerator. Mawa contains high-fat content, and refrigeration helps to prevent it from turning rancid or developing off-flavors. Properly stored, mawa can last for a few weeks in the refrigerator.
- Mawa easily absorbs odors from the refrigerator, so try to store it away from strong-smelling items. You can use a sealed plastic bag or wrap the mawa in parchment paper before placing it in the container to provide an extra layer of protection.
Freezing:
- If you want to extend the shelf life of your homemade mawa, you can freeze it. Wrap the mawa tightly in plastic wrap or aluminium foil, then place it in a zip-top freezer bag. Frozen mawa can last for a few months. If you’ve made a large batch, consider dividing the mawa into smaller portions. This makes it easier to use only what you need without exposing the entire batch.
- When ready to use, allow to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
Recipes using Mawa/Khoya
Kesar Mawa Penda
Microwave Mawa Peda
Mohanthal
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Khoya recipe with milk powder
Hayley Dhanecha
Homemade khoya or mawa made with milk powder makes the perfect khoya substitute! You just need 3 ingredients and 5 minutes to make this instant recipe.
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 7 minutes mins
Course Desserts
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Servings 5
Calories 697 kcal
Equipment
1 pan
Ingredients
- 5 cup milk powder full-fat or full cream
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ⅓ cup milk
Instructions
Heat a heavy based pan on low heat and add the ghee.
Once the ghee is warm, tip in the milk powder and mix well.
Keeping the heat low, continuously stir the milk powder until it is roasted – approximately 2-3 minutes. The milk powder should not change in colour.
Add in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens to form a mass. It will be sticky and glistening with ghee.
Remove the from the heat or take the mawa out of the pan to prevent it cooking further.
Use directly in recipes or allow to cool completely before storing away.
Video
Notes
You can make sweet mawa by mixing in powdered sugar once the cooked mawa has cooled to room temperature.
I have used instant khoya/mawa in my Mawa Gujiya Recipe
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Khoya recipe with milk powder
Serving Size
1
Amount per Serving
Calories
697
% Daily Value*
Fat
41
g
63
%
Saturated Fat
25
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
12
g
Cholesterol
141
mg
47
%
Sodium
481
mg
21
%
Potassium
1727
mg
49
%
Carbohydrates
50
g
17
%
Sugar
50
g
56
%
Protein
34
g
68
%
Vitamin A
1222
IU
24
%
Vitamin C
11
mg
13
%
Calcium
1187
mg
119
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
The nutritional information provided is an approximation calculated by an online calculator/plugin. Please consult a professional dietitian for nutritional advice.
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Note:- This post was originally posted on 1st of October 2015 but I have updated the post since with helpful content. The recipe remains the same.