Degchi
Khoya
Also written: mawa, khoa
- Urduکھویا
- Hindiखोया
- Banglaখোয়া ক্ষীর
- Arabicخويا
Khoya, also called mawa or khoa, is whole milk simmered and stirred until almost all the water is gone and what is left is a dense, crumbly or doughy mass of milk solids. It tastes rich, slightly caramelised and not very sweet on its own.
It is the base of many South Asian sweets. In our library it is the main ingredient of Gulab Jamun: you crumble the khoya, knead it with a little flour and baking powder into a smooth, crack-free dough, shape small balls and fry them gently before soaking them in syrup. Smooth dough is what stops the balls from cracking in the oil.
Shops sell it in blocks, often in the refrigerated or frozen section of South Asian grocers. It is perishable, so keep it cold, use it within a few days of opening, and wrap it tightly because it picks up fridge smells. Fresh khoya is soft and slightly moist; if it smells sour or has dried out hard, do not use it.
If you cannot find it, many home cooks make a stand-in from full-fat milk powder, a little ghee and milk, kneaded into a dough. The result is a little less deep in flavour but behaves well for jamuns and barfi. Making true khoya at home means simmering several litres of milk for a long time, stirring often, so most people buy it.
Recipes that use it
1 of our 247 recipes call for khoya. Here are a few to start with.
Other milk-based sweets in the library
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