Khoya is one of the most sought-after ingredients while preparing dishes for a festive spread. It is made by cooking milk and reducing its quantity which results in solids that are creamy and rich. From gajar ka halwa and sandesh to falooda and even shrikhand, khoya is a crucial ingredient for binding, texture, filling, and flavour.
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While it might seem easy, working with khoya is slightly tricky. The ingredients are delicate and creating a range of desserts this festive season will require you to know a few do’s and don’ts to achieve the best results.
Store Khoya Properly
If you are not going to use khoya soon after making or purchasing it, you must store it in the refrigerator. Freezing will extend its shelf life and prevent it from developing a foul odour and sour taste. However, once you are ready to use it, make sure to thaw it at room temperature so it is back to its old texture making it easy for you to work with.
Avoid Cooking On High Heat
Have you ever tried making tea or boiling milk at a high flame? You must have witnessed burnt utensils and undesirable smoked flavour in the beverage. The same theory applies to working with khoya. Subjecting the ingredient to a high flame will burn it rather than cooking it quickly. Milk solids will also harden and taste bitter. You should frequent between medium and low flame to cook khoya.
Also Read: The Story Of Jabalpur’s Famous Khoya Jalebi
Stir Continuously
Milk solids can stick to the surface and get burnt, therefore, it is necessary to continuously stir the mixture. You can use a wooden or steel spatula to mix the ingredients. This will also allow other elements like carrots, dry fruits, cardamom powder, etc. to combine nicely. It is also necessary to ensure that the texture of the star ingredient is not ruined.
Avoid Using Liquid
To prepare sweets, khoya should be thick and binding. You must avoid adding water to it at all costs. The liquid can damage the texture by turning khoya into a runny beverage with no sign of creaminess. Instead, if you think that khoya is too thick, you can add some milk. It will add richness and creaminess to the sweet dish recipe.
Mash And Grate
For recipes like rasgulla, gulab jamun, barfi, peda, etc. the instructions are clear about the texture of khoya. It must be smooth just like paneer. Therefore, you must grate or mash it to achieve the right consistency and finish. You can also use a food processor for the same to ensure the desired character and quality of the sweet dish.
Avoid Using Improper Utensils
Using non-stick cookware or metal utensils is a bad idea for cooking khoya. If you use metal cookware, it might leach chemicals into khoya and ruin the taste and texture of the sweet dish. If you end up using a non-stick utensil, constant stirring and scraping of khoya can ruin its surface. Aluminium and brass cookware items are the best to cook khoya.