Khoya can be made at home, though the method is little tedious. It is prepared by boiling and reducing the milk to a semi-solid stage. There are different types of khoya depending on the use of ingredients and moisture content.

Batti ka khoya: This is solid and moulded khoya. It is made out of full cream buffalo milk. The milk is boiled in a large kadhai (big pan) on a high flame, and stirred occasionally. The flame is reduced when the milk thickens. When the mixture is in a semi-solid stage it is removed from the fire and set into moulds. A litre of milk will yield 200 gm of khoya. This khoya is used in burfies and laddus.

Daab ka (or chikna) khoya: This is made with low fat buffalo milk. The process of making it is the same as for batti ka khoya but it is removed from the fire slightly earlier. It is loose and sticky in consistency with a higher moisture content. It is suitable for making gulab-jamuns and gajar ka halwa.

Danedar (or granulated) khoya: This khoya is made out of full cream buffalo milk. The difference is that khoya is curdled slightly by adding little tartary in powder form. The milk curdles slightly hence the khoya is soft textured. Care should be taken not to spoil the texture while stirring. The water content is more than batti ka khoya but less than the chikna khoya. This type is used in making kalakand and laddu.

Alternatives

A number of readers have sent in alternatives to khoya:

Sumathi, Singapore:
I have a suggestion for all those who find it difficult to get Khoya. I have tried this for Kaju Peda and it always turns out excellent. I use Full Cream Condensed milk which is available everywhere. Microwave 1 tin condensed milk with 2 tsp ghee and 2 tsp curd for 6 minutes. Khoya is ready. It is too good. can be used for carrot halwa, kaju peda, kaju barfi etc.

All in my family like the sweets I make with this Khoya. So do try.

ashwinibadve@yahoo.comAshwin:
Another substitute for khoya is ricotta cheese. Just take one container of khoya and heat it in a wide pan - such that most of the ricotta is in one layer. The aim is to get some of the moisture out of the ricotta. Do this over low heat. This has to be attended to constantly. I have made rava laddoos from this 'khoya' and they taste excellent!

Indu:
This is Indu from USA .You can try this alternate of khoya as everybody at my home loves gajar ka halwa made with this khoya.

Melt 100 gms of unsalted butter in a heavy bottom pan , then add 3 pounds of Ricotta cheese and bhunno for sometime till it becomes smooth(homogeneous) then add 2 and a 1/2 cup of Carnation powder( DO NOT USE NON FAT OR PARTLY SKIMMED ) . Stirr untill it becomes smooth and even .It can be used in making Burfi as well as Gajjar ka halwa ,so enjoy it.

Shobita, USA. :
Hi ,this is Shobhita from USA.i would like o sugggest one more way to make khoya You have to microwave half n half which is easily available in grocery stores in US for half an hour or so checking every 10 minutes.by this u get very fresh and great tas ting khoya in less time and comes out to be cheap also.

Vaidehi, Adelaide in Australia.
An easy way to make khoya abroad is:
Take thickened cream. Put milk powder in it. Keep it in microwave for a minute. stir. Puit in again. Continue this process reducing the interval in the microwave. You get excellent khoya to use in anything you want.

Rita Parikh, Richmond, USA. :
It is really time consuming to make khoya or mawa at home from milk; secondly it needs constant stirring and skill to get good mawa. As an alternative I like to use dry Mawa Powder available in Indian grocery stores. this works really good if formed into a stiff dough by adding milk. the gulab jambuns made out with mawa powder are just perfect. Sometimes for punjabi curries we need 2-3 tabsp mawa. In that case I mix up dry milk powder, available in all american groceries, and little milk to make thick paste;. then microwave on medium heat checking every 30 seconds to get the right consistency.

Anjali:
The easiest way to prepare khoya for those living outside India would be to take two katoris full of powder milk add sufficient water to be able to knead it into a smooth dough, add two teaspoons of ghee to this and continue to knead further. It is important that the kneading be done well.

Steam this ball of dough for about ten minutes in any steamer. It turns out better than freshly made khoya.

Hardev Mangat:
Hi there, whenever I have to use Khoya (Mawa), I use condensed milk but omit sugar in the recipe, or half heavy cream and half condensed milk and use sugar to your taste. I am very satisfied with the result. Also, you can use powdered milk and cream. Hope this will solve the Khoya (Mawa) problem.

Mohan Pandit:
I am a regular reader of Bawarchi. I saw several people are struggling about how to make Khoya in US. It is really easy. We get ricotta cheese in almost all grocery stores. Take two cups of ricotta cheese, cook it for about 10 minute in a Teflon sauce pan (use a 4-6 quart Teflon saucepan). Add two tablespoon butter to it and three cups of carnation dry milk powder. Keep on stirring constantly, until it reaches "Khoya" consistency, about 7 minutes on medium heat. This Khoya can be used for making burfi, peda, laddoos etc. Where ever Khoya is required in a recipe. Hope this will work for most of you. I have been using Khoya made this way for last 25 years. good luck.

Mohan Pandit:
Like u I live out of India too. I made khoya out of Milk powder. I use COAST FULL CREAM MILK POWDER. u cn use any u want but use full cream with no extra calcium.

Take milk powder. knead it like chapati dough not tight but loose. Take a muslin cloth. Tranfer the dough on it. Sprinkle some water on it. Then tie the ends of the cloth to form a bundle. Put this bundle in a pressure cooker with water. Cook it till u hear 2 whistles and then switch the gas off. Open the cooker after it cools.

Unknot the bundle. Remove the mava after it cools down completely. U will have to look for a net kind texture when u cut it. That is the right consistency.

U can use this mava for barfi, halwa , peda, any recipe.

Very important:

Please remember that u should not let the cloth touch the water in the pressure cooker. Put the bundle in a vessel and put the vessel in the cooker.

Lizy Solanki:
Hi! This is the first time I am writing to Bawarchi! I live in Toronto,Canada. I use Milk/Mawa powder which is easily available in US Indian Grocery Stores. I always buy it when I visit my family in Cincinnati. Instead of khoya, I use this powder and it gives best results. I make pedas, barafis, basundi, gajar halwa etc. using this powder.

Take 2 cups of any dry milk powder or how much u want just make hard dough with peak milk or any drinking milk. wrap any nylon or cloth freez for one hr. After that remove from freezer grate it on grater and use for any receipe.

Email: ushagulab@hotmail.com

Suchitra:
Hi, This is Suchitra. I have tried preparing Khoya from Ricotta cheese in US. It turns out real good and you can make very good Khoya burfi from it also. Just buy Ricotta cheese from the food market and pan fry it stirring continuously on medium heat till it looses all the water content and becomes dry, dark yellowish in color. Initially the cheese colour will be creamish. This khoya can be used for all dishes which mention Indian Khoya.

Email: suchjos@hotmail.com

Uma Gopalan:
This a Recipe for those who can't buy readymade Khoya.

Ingredients
1 cup NIDO or any milk powder.
1/2 cup ghee (melt lurpak butter and make the ghee)
Milk as required

Method
Mix butter and milk powder and add enough milk to make a batter like that made for Cakes. Cover and Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Mix with a fork and again cover and microwave on high for 1 to 3 minutes (this time varies with the type of microwave used). When the khoya is ready it will be dry, there will be no moisture of the milk in it.

If a recipe calls for sweet khoya, condensed milk may be used to blend the butter and milk together to batter-like consistency. Happy Cooking!!!

Bhavna Mehta, Gulf:
Here is a receipe to make Khoya.
Take any milk powder (Nido, Rainbow or whatever is available) knead it with milk or nestle cream till it forms into a hard dough (slighty sticky). Cover it with a wet cloth for about fifteen minutes and then steam in a pressure cooker for 10 / 15 minutes.

Remove from pressure cooker and cool. Break into large chunks and now grind it in your food processor. It will look like crumps. Khoya is now ready to be used in any sweet you want.

I am from the Gulf, and this receipe I would like to share with you all. Happy cooking and do let me know. My e.mail is unimedia@gto.net.om

Hemal, USA:
I have a suggestion for all those who stay way from India and have difficulty in trying to find/make khoya. You could try using Heavy Cream which is available at all the grocery stores. I tried using it in Carrot Halwa and the result was execellent like that which we make back home in India (made with Desi Ghee was my husband comment) Well you could try that out too.

Anjali Kulkarni, USA:
It is very easy to make Khoya in the United States. Just buy Ricotta cheese and fry in the skilett until dry using low heat. I tried your Malai Kofta and used the same amount of Ricotta cheese in place of Khoya. Also I have used Ricotta cheese for Gulab Jamum. Try it! You will like it. If you have any questions please contact me at kulkarni@ziplink.net

Arti, USA:
I have a suggestion for all those who stay in US and trying to find substitute for khoya. You could try using Ricotta cheese. Put the cheese in a kadai at moderate heat and keep stirring it. When water content is reduced then lower the heat and remove from the stove when it is pink.
The whole process takes about 15-20 minutes. You can use this in any recipe which needs khoya.

Ruby, Singapore:
Ingredients

1 Cup Milk powder
1/2 cup Condensed Milk
1 Table spoon Ghee

Method
Mix all the above items and put in the microwave on low micro power for total time 5 to 7 minutes. Stir after 3 minutes, and again put it back in microwave. Khoya is ready , No need to put sugar. Use for Barfi, Gujia etc.

Swati, Sydney:
Hi, I am Swati Pandit from Sydney, Australia. I would like to contribute a simple recipe for Khoya for people living outside India.

Ingredients

Nestle' or any other full cream milk powder
Thickened / Fresh Cream

Method

Mix cream to milk powder in a glass bowl to get a smooth paste. Cook this mixture in a Microwave oven for a total of 1.5 to 2 minutes, stopping the oven to stir the mixture every 35-40 seconds to get a soft dough. AND THE KHOYA IS READY!. You MIGHT have to increase or decrease the cooking time depending upon the quantity of the mixture.

Tip: The wonderful thing about this recipe is that the proportion of the ingredients is not important, just mix them to get a smooth paste and cook.

Meghana:
Hi ! this mail is from Meghana & Mitali, we would like to share with all of you that we can use Ricotta Cheese instead of Khoya in any Indian Sweets you want eg Gajar Halwa. While preparing Gajar Halwa add Ricotta Cheese at the end after adding sugar. Ricotta Cheese is easily available at any supermarket.

Surekha: Australia
Hi! I am Surekha from Canberra Australia. I am giving you the recepie for khoya. It is really easy to make.

In a bowl take 3 cups of full cream milk powder and 300ml of thickened cream and can of condence milk keep in microwave on high for 4 min then stir it then again keep it for 4 min stir it and your khoya is ready you can add it in halwa or make burfi or pedha.