How to Mawa at home

 Mawa / Khoya is milk product made from whole or full fat milk or milk powder. It is very popular in India and Pakistan for making sweets and curries. Mawa is household name in India I remember how my Mom and Grandma used to make mawa at home for preparing gulab jamuns, peda, barfi andy many more sweet dishes. It was quiet tiring process but the end result was lovely. They used to boil milk in thick clay pot on traditional chula/ charcoal stove for about an hour or so and make mawa. It taste yum and sweet and they used to say that the best taste of mawa comes when it is cooked in clay pot and slowly. I miss all those things now as we use shortcut methods to make mawa and ofcourse the milk is not the same i.e. we use UHT or fresh milk but still it is not same as it used to be in olden days.

There are three type of mawa: 

• Bhatti / batti mawa: Is the hardest all three mawa, it has50 % moisture, made from full fat buffalo cream milk. The milk is boiled in large kadhai on high flame and stirring occasionally. When it thickens flame is reduced and cooked further till it oozes ghee and set into moulds. This can be kept at room temp for about a year just like cheese. 
• Chikna/ Hariyali mawa: Is made from low fat buffalo milk i.e. you can makefrom packed milk. The process is making is same as making of batti mawa but it is removed slightly earlier i.e. just after when it starts to leave a trail while stirring. It has 80 % moisture
• Daana mawa : Milk is coagulated after it is thickens by adding tartaric acid, is very different from paneer.

Uses of Mawa: Mawa is used in making sweet such as Gulabjamun, Barfi, Peda, Halwa, Gujiya, Fudge or Mohanthal and also in some curries and gravy dishes too.

Preparing Mawa at Home from Milk powder:
Ingredients :
Full cream Milk powder : 1 cup
Cream                           : 3 tbsp + 2 tbsp if cooking on stove or
Evaporated milk            : 6 tbsp + 4 tbsp if cooking on stove
Ghee / Clarified butter : 1 tbsp.

Method 1 : Cooking in Microwave:

1. Mix milk powder, cream/ evap milk and ghee in wide microwave safe bowl.
2. Keep in microwave on high for 6 mins.
3. Stir every 2 mins.

Method 2 : Cooking in Stove top:

1. Mix milk powder, evap milk/ cream and ghee.
2. Cook in heavy bottom pan or non stick pan on slow flame for 10 mins or till it leaves pan.

Method 3 : No cook:

1. Mix milk powder, cream . evap milk and ghee and knead dough ( add milk / cream little by little).
2. Wrap and keep in freezer for 20 to 30 mins.
3. Remove from freezer and grate.

Note:

• To make granular mawa add 1/2 tsp lime juice.
• Add milk / cream 1 tbsp at a time while kneading the dough.
• Might need to keep for a min or more in microwave if it is sticky.

Health Benefits:

• Mawa/ Khoa being a dairy product promotes strong bones by being a very good source of vitamin D and calcium, and a good source of vitamin K--three nutrients essential to bone health.
• In addition, it is a very good source of riboflavin and good source of vitamin B12, two B vitamins that are necessary for cardiovascular health and energy production. Also, it is a good source of vitamin A.
• Research has shown that increased consumption of dairy products, by both children and adults, results in increased bone density later in life and a reduced risk of osteoporosis.
• Having much of the health benefits, remember excess of it is not good for health. Excess can cause weight gain further causing other health problems.