Are you looking for homemade mawa? Your search ends here. Step up your festive mood and browse our easy guide on how to make mawa – 5 ways of making mawa.
With our step-by-step tutorial and a little effort, anyone can create rich and creamy mawa at home- the same taste and texture. Plus, each recipe is irresistibly good and mostly all done in 10-15 minutes of prep – it doesn’t get much better than that!
Khoya or mawa plays a significant role in Indian cooking. But for many of my readers, finding mawa at their supermarkets is extremely difficult. I have received multiple queries regarding how to make mawa at home?
Therefore, to help you better, I have added 6 techniques in this post on – how to make mawa – 5 ways of making mawa.
Although making mawa at home doesn’t require too many ingredients, the right ingredients and blending them in the accurate quantity is what creates that smooth and velvety textured mawa.
What is Mawa?
Mawa or Khoya literally translates to curd in English.
Mawa is a coagulated milk solid that is widely used in Indian cooking. It is the base for many Indian/South Asian recipes ranging from sweets to savory dishes.
Traditionally khoya/mawa is prepared by simmering full-fat milk for hours over a medium flame. Milk is reduced to one-fifth of its volume by removing its moisture content through a slow cooking process.
Ater this evaporation, milk reaches its semi-solid stage, and all that is left behind is a creamy, nutty-flavored dough-like milk solid, and that is Mawa/khoya/Kharra.
The traditional way of making mawa is undoubtedly the best, but with a busy day-to-day schedule, this process is tedious and time-consuming for me. How to make mawa – 5 ways of making mawa
Therefore, I have come up with simple methods to prepare mawa at home without compromising authenticity or taste. The richness and texture of homemade mawa is far better than the store brought one.
All the techniques shown below are pretty straightforward, and you can have instant khoya ready in minutes.
So if you have busy schedules like me yet want to enjoy homemade mawa, you will surely love all my ways to make mawa at home.
Follow the step-by-step guide below on how to make dense yet moist, decadent mawa at home.
Different kinds of Mawa or Khoya!
The quality of khoya is listed based on its moisture content and texture.
» Hard Khoya- Also known as batti khoya. Batti means brick in English; therefore, this is a very firm and rock-solid kind of khoya. In this process, milk is reduced to 1/5th of its volume by removing its moisture content through a slow cooking process.
Batti khoya can be crumbled or grated like cheese and is used to prepare pedas, burfis, and ladoos.
» Soft Khoya – Also known as Chikna Khoya, Hariyali khoya, or Daab ka khoya. This mawa is soft and squishy in texture and contains plenty of moisture. It’s cooking process is stopped a little earlier than the normal mawa.
This mawa is an excellent addition to rich gravies like shahi paneer, shahi kofta and can also be added to sweets like Gulab Jamuns and Gajar ka halwa. How to make mawa – 5 ways of making mawa
» Granular Khoya – Also known as danedar Khoya. It’s grainy in texture and is soft and looks like curdled milk. Its moisture content is in between the hard mawa and soft mawa.
It is soft and grainy in texture and is used to make kalakand and granular burfi.
Ingredients required to make Mawa at home
You need just six common pantry staples to put together this homemade mawa recipe, and they are –
» Milk powder – Since milk powder is the building block to a creamy mawa, I recommend using the best quality milk powder. I have used NOW Foods, Organic Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder for this recipe. Use this wherever the recipe calls for milk powder. The other best option is Nestle Nido Instant Dry Whole Milk Powder.
» Heavy whipping cream – Ensure the cream you use has at least 35% of the fat; otherwise, our mawa will not attain a rich and creamy texture.
» Ghee – a little goes a long way. A tablespoon of ghee is all you need in most of the techniques to create creamy mawa.
» Yogurt – Use plain greek yogurt or thick curd. How to make mawa – 5 ways of making mawa
» Ricotta cheese – Use whole milk ricotta cheese for the richest and creamiest homemade mawa. Do not substitute it with low-fat ricotta cheese. Ho
» Sweetened condensed milk – required only in sweet-tasting mawa. Mawa #1 and Mawa #4 uses condensed milk.
Recipe tips to make the best homemade mawa
» The secret to best mawa is to keep stirring. Do not leave cooking mawa unattended at any time, as it may burn the mixture in the microwave.
» All the below-mentioned recipes are made in the microwave (except mawa#5); however, all the microwavable techniques can easily be adapted to the stovetop version. Cooking time may vary.
» The below-mentioned recipes can be scaled up or down to suit your preference. However, if you decide to double the recipe, the cooking time may vary. Refer to each stage’s visuals to attain the right texture.
» If you plan to make mawa #1 or Mawa #4, you will end with a beautiful dark tone mawa because sweetened condensed milk lends a darker shade to the mawa. This mawa has a slightly granular texture and has a rich nutty flavor.
Is Mawa and Paneer the same?
Mawa and paneer both are milk derivatives, but they are two different things.
Paneer also referred to as Cheena, is an Indian cottage cheese made by curdling milk with an acid like lemon juice or vinegar. The curdled milk solids are drained through a double layer of cheesecloth, then allowed to set by weighing it down with a heavy pot until all the liquid is drained and it becomes firm.
On the other hand, khoya is prepared by simmering full-fat milk for hours over a medium flame. Milk is reduced to one-fifth of its volume by removing its moisture content through a slow cooking process.
How to store mawa?
If you are not planning to use all the mawa at once, you can store it in the refrigerator for later use, and it does freeze well. To store, allow the mawa to cool completely. How to make mawa – 5 ways of making mawa
Transfer the cooled mawa to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Mawa can store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When ready to use, thaw mawa/khoya overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, crumble the softened mawa and use it as directed in the recipe.
Especially around special occasions like Indian festivals, weddings, birthdays, baby shower mawa/khoya can be used to make many Indian dishes ranging from sweet dishes to savory gravies and curries.
A few of my favorites where I use mawa are-
Should you make any of the methods below, please leave me a comment below, and don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
How to make Mawa at home – MAWA #1 – SWEETENED MAWA
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Whisk it well until combined.
- Place this mixture in the microwave. Set the cooking time to 3 minutes and start the microwave. Do not step away. Watch the mixture as it may boil over.
- After 3 minutes, remove the bowl from the microwave. Remember, the bowl will be hot, so take precautions.
- Use a spatula to mix the ingredients. Return this mawa mix to the microwave and cook for another 1 minute.
- Stop the microwave every 1 minute and continue stirring the mawa mixture with a spatula. Stop cooking the mixture and remove it from the microwave once the mawa looks dark and crumbly. Mawa will still be sticky and gooey at this point. Allow it to rest overnight, and it will thicken.
- This is a granular or danedar kind of Khoya – it is used to make kalakand and halwa.
NUTRITION
How to make Mawa at home – MAWA – 2 – UNSWEETENED MAWA
EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Knead the mixture until it forms a soft dough.
- Place this mixture in the microwave. Set the cooking time to 2 minutes and start the microwave. Do not step away.
- After 2 minutes, remove the bowl from the microwave. Remember, the bowl will be hot, so take precautions.
- Use a spatula to mix the ingredients. Return this mawa mix to the microwave and cook for another 1 minute. Mix it well. From hereon, stop the microwave every 30 seconds and continue stirring the mawa mixture with a spatula. Cook for an additional 1 minute in increments.
- Do not cook for long, or else it will burn. You may see slightly darker chunks of mawa at the bottom of the bowl. Don't worry, just break those chunks with the spatula, and you should be good.
- This mawa will have a sticky consistency and therefore is called chikna khoya. Used for making halwa.
NUTRITION
How to make Mawa at home – MAWA #3 – UNSWEETENED MAWA
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ cups Milk Powder
- ⅓ cup Heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon Heavy whipping cream
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix until it forms a dough.
- Add 2 cups of water to the Instant Pot insert. Place a trivet at the bottom of the insert.
- Transfer the mawa to a small bowl. Place this bowl on the trivet. The pan must fit in the insert.
- Seal the Instant pot with its lid and set the valve to SEALING. Press pressure cook/Manual on the front panel and adjust the time to 8 minutes on HIGH pressure. The display will read as ON until the IP comes to pressure. This will take about 10-12 minutes.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, your Instant Pot will beep; turn the valve to VENTING, and quickly release the steam. Carefully open the lid, and the steamed mawa is ready.
- The color of the mawa may change to a slightly pale yellow in color because of the steam. That's absolutely fine.
- This is close to batti ka khoya. Crumble it and use it to make gujiyas.
- You can use it to make burfi too.
- And yummy ladoos too!
NUTRITION
How to make Mawa at home – MAWA #4 – SWEETENED MAWA
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Milk Powder
- ½ cup Sweetened Condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- ⅓ cup Heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon Heavy whipping cream
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Wisk until well blended.
- Place this mixture in the microwave. Set the cooking time to 3 minutes and start the microwave. After 3 minutes, remove the bowl from the microwave. Remember, the bowl will be hot, so take precautions. Use a spatula to mix the ingredients.
- Return this mawa mix to the microwave and cook for another 1 minute. Mix it well. From hereon, stop the microwave every 30 seconds and continue stirring the mawa mixture with a spatula. Cook for an additional 1 minute in increments.
- Stop cooking the mixture and remove it from the microwave once the mawa looks dark and crumbly.
- This is a granular or danedar kind of Khoya. It is used to make Rabdi.
NUTRITION
How to make Mawa at home – MAWA #5- RICOTTA CHEESE MAWA ON COOK TOP
INGREDIENTS
- 30 oz Ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat ricotta cheese over medium-heat in a heavy-bottomed pan .
- Stir continuously. Soon the cheese will start to melt and spread. Use a big spoon because the cheese will start to splatter as it starts to bubble.
- Do not leave ricotta cheese unattended at any time as it burn quickly. Keep stirring until the moisture starts to evaporate.
- Now add ghee to the pan and stir to combine. Soon the mixture will start to thicken and start to leave the sides of the pan.
- Stir constantly, and soon the cheese will come together like dough. Take the mawa off the heat and transfer it to a clean bowl.
- This unsweetened mawa can be used in just about any recipe ranging from sweet to savory.
NUTRITION
How to make mawa – 5 ways of making mawa – MAWA#6
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 15 0z Ricotta Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
INSTRUCTIONS
MAKING MAWA – 6 – RICOTTA CHEESE MAWA IN MICROWAVE
- Grease a microwavable bowl. Add ricotta cheese to it.
- Microwave the cheese for 2 minutes on HIGH.
- Remove from the microwave. Ricotta cheese will look like a wet mix. Give it a good mix.
- Place the bowl back into the microwave and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove and stir.
- Repeat this process 3 more times, microwaving the cheese mixture for a total of 6 additonal minutes. Keep stirring at all times in between.
- By this time, all the moisture from the cheese should have evaporated, and the cheese inside the bowl will appear to resemble crumbs yet moist and soft to touch.
- Allow the mixture to cool comfortably. Now knead the mawa until smooth. You can use this danedar mawa in just about anything that calls for mawa.
Hello which Mawa recipe to use for making simple Mawa peda?
Thanks in advance
Ally, Mawa #4 will be perfect for pedas.
Is there a variation I can make without milk powder, using just condensed milk and cream maybe?
Kelly, I haven’t experimented with condensed milk and cream but I think you can.
You may have to add a little ghee or coconut oil at the end.
Hello Ruchi,
Just went through your recipes,just loved all of them cannot wait to try
I had a question when you say “cream” does it mean ricotta cheese,sorry to ask you a silly question,tried to scna the page a couple of times but could not find the answer.
Regards,
Shilpi
Thank you, Shilpi!
The cream that I am referring to is heavy whipping cream.
Thank you so much,shall definitely try your recipes!
Awesome!
Thank you.
Can I use whole milk in place of the cream with the milk powder?
Tannu, I would not suggest that. Whole milk will fail to provide the same results because heavy whipping cream contains 35% fat and is creamier in texture.
Ok thanks for your prompt reply I will use heavy cream! Look forward to making it!
Got mawa from out and made mix for modak but the mix has become so soft that doesnt take any shape. How can i fix it ?
Jessica, did you follow the recipe at the bottom of the page – where it says How to make Kesar Mawa Modak with Homemade Mawa??
To correct it – place the mawa mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. It should thicken.
I have raw cow milk that is actual fresh milk of cow, when i put raw milk( without boiling) in refrigerator cream gather over, can that cream be use as heavy cream.
Unfortunately, you can’t use that! You need to boil the milk to attain that thick malai (cream). That will take accumulate over one week. After that, there is an extended process of beating the cream to make it smooth and creamy.
I would recommend, use the thick creamy ones you get in the stores.
Thanks. Which mawa os goid for moong dal halwa
Preeti, Mawa #5 or #6 is apt for moong dal halwa.
Thanks Ruchi!
Which Mawa do you use for making gujhiya? Thanks for simplifying lives!
Pleasure is all mine, Patricia. 😊
Mawa#3 or microwave mawa would be perfect for making gujiyas.
Which khoya would be good for gulab jamun?
I don’t want to use condensed milk or ricotta cheese.
Prefer milk powder ghee and cream.
Ekta, mawa #3 is perfect for making Gulab jamuns and is made up of milk powder and heavy whipping cream.
Hello 🙂 I want to use mawa for nargis khoftey gravy. Which one is the most suitable?:-)
Btw great job with the recipes and the description.
Thank you, Saiqa! So glad you found the post helpful.
Granular Mawa is good for Nargisi kofte, and you can make granular mawa with mawa #3, #5, and #6.
Hello Ruchi,
This is very helpful, so many ways to create mawa. Thank you and love the details.
You are welcome, Shalini. 😊
Ruchi, I can’t find mawa in my area, I searched it online and came across your blog. So well explained. Thank you so much, I have been making mawa for the past 2 years and have tried almost all of them except the sweetened ones. They all turn out so well.
Thank you 🙏
Thank you so much for your kind words, Aish!
I am glad you found the post helpful. 😊
Hi Ruchi! I love sweets, but I don’t drink animal milk, nor do I drink refined sugar. In general, I don’t take sugar because I consider it the worst drug that exists, it produces addiction and is bad for your health, but I respect whoever wants to take it. Well with that said, I’ll try this sweet with almond milk, sweetened condensed milk (made by me) and powdered almond milk, ricotta made with almond milk. I’ll tell you the results as soon as I can. Ruchi, it’s impossible not to make this sweet after all this range of possibilities. Thank you very much for sharing. take care. Greetings from Spain
Thank you, Wendy!
Very nice .
Which of these method can be used to make Mathura ki peda.
Thank you, Roopa!
Mawa #3 is the right one to make Mathura ke Pede.
Hi Ruchi, thanks for sharing the recipes for making mawa, so I wanted to know how to make the gujiya mawa if we do not have an Instant pot for making the batti mawa.Can I use a cooker for making it and can u share the timing in this case or any other alternative.
Thank you, Shilpi!
Yes, you can use a regular pressure cooker to make mawa. Place the mawa in a container, fill the cooker’s base with water and steam the mawa for two whistles. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
Hi Ruchi, I too have same concern and will be using a pressure cooker, to confirm does the container need a lid to steam Mawa?
Disha, the container doesn’t require a lid, but if you have concerns a lid on top will work too. 😊
Thanks Ruchi, I have been struggling to find Mawa in London so your recipes have been a saviour. Do we need a container with lid or not?
Thank you, Arpi. So glad you found this post helpful. A container with a lid to steam Mawa? – is this what you are asking about?
Hello! Which recipe would be best for making gulab jamun? Thank you
Hello Betty, Mawa#6 would be ideal for making Gulab Jamuns.
Thank you, can’t wait to try it!
Hi! I am wanting to make burfi and would like to do recipe 3, but I don’t have an InstaPot. Is there another way to make that recipe, or should I use a different Mawa type? Thank you!!
Christie, you can cook the mawa in a regular pan too. Just make sure it has a lid.
Hi Ruchi,
These recipes are easy and amazing. To clarify, in methods 3 and 4 did you mean 1 tablespoon yogurt instead of heavy cream?
Thank you!
Yogurt is only used in method 1 (Mawa #1).
Thanks for such an informative post. I’ll definitely try.Is heavy whipping cream available easily?
For gulab jamun, which type of mawa should I use?
Kindly guide.
Once again thanks for such a nice post.
Thank you, Mrs. Muizza! Heavy whipping cream is readily available in any grocery store in the dairy section. For Gulab Jamun, Mawa #3 is the best.
Hi Ruchi,
Thank you for the detailed explanation on preparing different kinds of mawa readily at home. Which one of the above can we use to make paranthas, kindly point out?
Thanks and Warm Wishes,
Apoorva
Thank you for your kind words, Apoorva! So glad you liked the recipe. Mawa #3 (the unsweetened mawa) is perfect for making paranthas.