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    Palkova Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 8, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Palkova is a popular and favorite Indian sweet which is literally milk thickened to halwa consistency with sugar. It is often known as therattipal in southern part of tamilnadu. In this blog post, I have shared traditional method and also an Instant 5 minutes version. Learn how to make palkova recipe with step by step pictures, instructions and video.

    palkova sweet served in a wooden bowl

    Palkova Recipe

    Palkova is one of the sweet which is a labour of love. If you have the time and patience you can try making this dish. All it needs is just milk and sugar. Milk and sugar is cooked down till it thickens like a jam. I love it so much specially the one which you get in Srivilliputhur or aavin paal kova.

    Yesterday I made this yummy therattipal desert, because  want to make paal poli out of it. This is one of the recipe which takes lots of your time to make. The cool thing is you can do any work at that time, but make sure that you stir the pot often. You can do your laundry or wash vessels or anything in that time. But the end result of this tiring work is so worth it, each spoonful taste so heavenly.

    Table of Contents

    • About Palkova Recipe
    • Watch Palkova Recipe Video
    • Ingredients for Palkova
    • Expert Tips for Perfect Palkova
    • Traditional Palkova Recipe (Step-wise Pictures)
    • Easy Palkova Recipe (Instant Palkova in 10 minutes)
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • 📖 Recipe Card
    • Palkova | Palkova Recipe

    About Palkova Recipe

    Palkova is a popular Indian sweet made with milk and sugar. Traditionally palkova is cooked in a huge uruli like vessel. Milk and sugar is cooked down till it gets thick and halwa like consistency.

    In this blog post I have shared instant version and traditional method of making palkova. For instant version you need only sweetened condensed milk and yogurt. Traditional method uses just milk and sugar to create Srivilliputhur style paalkova.

    Watch Palkova Recipe Video

    YouTube video

    Similar Recipes,

    Kalakand
    Coconut Burfi
    Khoya Burfi
    Walnut Burfi
    Beetroot Burfi

    Ingredients for Palkova

    palkova ingredients

    Milk

    Milk is the main ingredient in making a traditional palkova sweet. Use full fat milk in the recipe. Full cream milk results in richer and thicker therattipal.

    Sugar

    Even though palkova is rich and sweet. You don't need much sugar when making it. For every 1 litre of milk you will be using ¾ cup of sugar. Traditionally refined sugar is added in palkova, But some recipes is made using jaggery or palm sugar which is often referred as thirattu paal.

    Ghee

    Ghee enhances the flavour of the sweet and makes it taste delicious.

    Cardamom

    Ground cardamom is added in palkova which enhances the flavour of the sweet.

    traditional palkova and instant palkova served

    Expert Tips for Perfect Palkova

    Quality of Milk

    Make sure you use full fat milk for making palkova. It gives you more palkova when it is reduced.

    Pan Size Matters

    Use large pan so that the milk reduces fast. Keep stirring milk, so it don’t get stuck in the bottom and get burned.

    Sweetener

    Palkova doesn't need too much sugar. Add sugar only when the milk is reduced completely. Add sugar in the very end so that the kova gets the right consistency. You can use jaggery in making thirattu paal, which will curdle the milk if added in the earlier stage.

    Consistency

    Turn off the heat as soon the palkova looks thick. Don't cook till it comes together or look like halwa. Because as the kova cools it will thicken a lot more, So adjust the timing accordingly.

    palkova sweet served in a wooden bowl

    Traditional Palkova Recipe (Step-wise Pictures)

    1) Take a large heavy bottom pan and add milk to it.

    adding milk to a bronze kadai

    2)Bring this to a boil. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the sides of pan else the milk might get burnt in the bottom.

    bring milk to a boil

    3)Allow this to boil for around 20-30 mins on high heat. Stir this constantly to prevent it from sticking to the pan.

    Pro Tip: Placing a wooden spatula across the kadai will prevent the milk from overflowing.

    placing wooden spoon across the kadai will prevent the milk from overflowing

    4)Once the milk is reduced to ⅓rd of its original volume.

    milk reduced

    5)Add sugar and give it a good mix. At this point keep mixing constantly.

    adding sugar to reduced milk

    6)Once sugar is added. The milk will start to thicken fast. 

    milk starting to get thick once sugar is added

    7)After 2 to 3 mins add in ghee little at a time and mix well. The palkova will thicken.Once the ghee is mixed in, The colour will change to a light golden colour.  

    add in ghee

    8)Add in cardamom powder and mix well.  Switch off the flame and let it cool down.

    add cardamom powder

    9)The palkova may look a bit runny at this point. But as it cools it will thicken more. 

    palkova is getting thick

    10)Look how thick palkova looks once completely cooled.

    palkova looks thick once it is cooled

    11)Once completely cooled, you can serve this or transfer to a container. 

    palkova sweet served in a wooden bowl

    Easy Palkova Recipe (Instant Palkova in 10 minutes)

    1)Take sweetened condensed milk and a heavy bottom pan.

    easy palkova is made using sweetened condensed milk

    2)pour one can of condensed milk in the pan. It is around 400 ml.

    pour sweetened condensed milk in a pan

    3)Add in plain yogurt.

    add yogurt to condensed milk

    4)Add in butter or ghee.

    add butter

    5)Mix it really well so the yogurt is completely mixed into the condensed milk. 

    mix well and heat till condensed milk gets heated

    6)Place the pot on heat and cook on high heat till comes to a boil. It will look runny once the condensed milk is heated. 

    palkova mix getting thick

    7)Keep cooking this. The mixture will thicken and look a little curdled and thick at this point. 

    keep mixing the palkova

    8)Keep cooking this until the mixture gets even more thick, it will take around 2 to 3 minutes. 

    now instant palkova is thick

    9)After 2 to 3 mins the mixture will get thick.

    showing the grainy consistency of the palkova

    10)You can turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid and allow it to cool for 15 mins. 

    cover the pan and allow to cool

    11)As it cools the palkova will get more thick and achieve proper consistency. Once completely cooled, you can serve this or transfer to a container. 

    instant palkova is ready

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    1)Which Milk is best for making palkova?

    Use full fat milk (full cream milk). Using full fat milk yields higher quantity palkova. Buffalo milk can be used too.

    2)Can we make palkova using low fat milk?

    Low fat milk is not suitable for making palkova due to its lower fat content. It is not worth the effort you put into making the palkova because you will not be getting much sweet once you finish making it.

    3)Is palkova and therattipal is same?

    Yes both are similar. Some recipe for making therattipal uses more ghee. Some people use cane sugar (jaggery) when making therattipal which curdles the milk and helps achieving the grainy texture. I have seen people adding a tbsp of sooji (rava) also. You can check my seempaal recipe.

    4)Can I use jaggery when making palkova?

    Jaggery will make the milk curdle which is infact good for palkova. But the taste and texture will be completely different when using jaggery. If you want to use jaggery, use powdered variety and also add it during the end, once the milk is completely thick.

    More Milk Sweet Recipes,

    • Arisi Payasam Recipe (Rice Kheer)
    • Malpua Recipe
    • Kaju Pista Roll Recipe
    • Milk Powder Burfi Recipe(Milk Barfi)

    📖 Recipe Card

    Palkova | Palkova Recipe

    Palkova is a popular and favorite Indian sweet which is literally milk thickened to halwa consistency with sugar. In this blog post, I have shared traditional method and also an Instant 5 minutes version. Learn how to make palkova recipe with step by step pictures, instructions and video.
    4 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 511kcal

    Ingredients

    Palkova Recipe (Traditional)

    • 2 litre Whole Milk
    • ½ cup Sugar
    • 1 tbsp Ghee
    • ½ tsp Cardamom Powder

    Instant Palkova (under 10 minutes)

    • 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (400 ml)
    • 3 tbsp Plain Yogurt
    • 1 tbsp Ghee or Butter

    Instructions

    Palkova Recipe (Traditional)

    • Take a large heavy bottom pan and add milk to it. Bring this to a boil. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the sides of pan else the milk might get burnt in the bottom. Allow this to boil for around 20-30 mins on high heat. Stir this constantly to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
    • Once the milk is reduced to ⅓rd of its original volume, Add sugar and give it a good mix. At this point keep mixing constantly.
    • Once sugar is added. The milk will start to thicken fast. After 2 to 3 mins add in ghee little at a time and mix well. The palkova will thicken.
    • Once the ghee is mixed in, The colour will change to a light golden colour.
    • Add in cardamom powder and mix well. Switch off the flame and let it cool down. The palkova may look a bit runny at this point. But as it cools it will thicken more.
    • Once completely cooled, you can serve this or transfer to a container.

    Instant Palkova (under 10 minutes)

    • Take condensed milk, yogurt and butter (or ghee) in a heavy bottom pot. Mix it really well so the yogurt is completely mixed into the condensed milk.
    • Place the pot on heat and cook on high heat till comes to a boil. It will look runny once the condensed milk is heated.
    • Keep cooking this. The mixture will thicken and look a little curdled and thick at this point.
    • Keep cooking this until the mixture gets even more thick, it will take around 2 to 3 minutes. 

After 2 to 3 mins the mixture will get thick. You can turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid and allow it to cool for 15 mins.
    • As it cools the palkova will get more thick and achieve proper consistency.
    • Once completely cooled, you can serve this or transfer to a container.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    • Use a huge pan so that the milk reduces fast.
    • Always stir the milk, so that it don’t get stuck and get burned.
    • Add sugar in the very end so that the kova gets the right consistency.
    • Every microwave is different, so keep an eye on it and always mix it at regular interval.
    • As the kova cools it will thicken a lot more, So adjust the timing accordingly.
    • I added 1 tsp of ghee. The more ghee you add the more colour you will get in the paal kova. But i recommend 1 tsp of ghee, because this sweet is so rich as its own.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 778mg | Fiber: 0.05g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin A: 743IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 623mg | Iron: 0.2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.

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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Helene Dsouza

      at

      Hi Aarthi!

      Thats looks awesome and so easy to make! thanks for sharing and I wish you a happy easter!

      Reply
    2. cookingvarieties

      at

      hi aarthi, honestly i have never seen this sweet before in my area..
      they look very interesting to taste.

      but i think i just admire your pics, because you said it takes a very long time to cook. ha ha. have a nice day

      Reply
    3. faseela

      at

      superb recipe...yum

      Reply
    4. Sharmilee! :)

      at

      Nothing can beat the taste of palkova...looks yum

      Reply
    5. Hamaree Rasoi

      at

      Delicious and yummy looking doodh peda.
      Deepa

      Reply
    6. Chef Mireille

      at

      This looks so yummy..and I LOVE the new header!

      Reply
    7. Priya

      at

      Just need a spoon to finish it,tempting paal kova..

      Reply
    8. Archana

      at

      Wow this is beautiful. My friend had given me the recipe but I have not got round to making this.
      You are tempting me to make it. Delicious.

      Reply
    9. Anonymous

      at

      I am making it first time on my own, really tasty! Logamatha, Thiruthangal.

      Reply
    10. Shey divine

      at

      So simple to make ..sounds interesting

      Reply
    11. Priya Suresh

      at

      Very quick and easy breezy thiratti paal,i do this way too.

      Reply
    12. Hamaree Rasoi

      at

      Peda looks amazing. very innovative method using microwave oven. Pics are great.
      Deepa

      Reply
    13. Akila

      at

      Awesome! Going to try today Aarthi:-)

      Reply
    14. Madhu

      at

      Can we make this awsome recipe on stove top or OTG.

      Reply
    15. swarna santosh

      at

      Super easy recipe 🙂

      Reply
    16. Anonymous

      at

      Looks really nice!!! But how can i do without microwave?

      Reply
    17. nagarathna keshav

      at

      Hai, aarti ,its looking yummy & very good.
      I wanted one clarification that for how much digree you have set your micro wave it is high or low & mine is 800 deg is maximum.

      Reply
    18. Narmatha Jeganathan

      at

      Hey aarthi I troed this n infact it came out very well.. I enjoy trying out most of ur recipes... easy n convenient for people with busy lifestyle... keep publishing more... gr8 wrk Aarthi 🙂

      Reply
    19. Aarthi

      at

      @nagarathna keshavMine is 800 degrees.

      Reply
    20. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousI am not sure about that. Will share a version soon

      Reply
    21. Aarthi

      at

      @MadhuI am not sure about it, but give it a try

      Reply
    22. Sasi Rekha Reddy

      at

      thank you soo much for your recipe i tried it and it came out awesome... thank u for ur assistance

      Reply
    23. Sasi Rekha Reddy

      at

      thank u so much aarthi..for your recipe..i tried it and it came out awesome... 🙂

      Reply
    24. Kalyani

      at

      Just made this Aarti . Came out well, although had to micro a few mins more. Thanks fr the step by step pics, as always ! How r u doing ? Long time..

      Reply
    25. Anonymous

      at

      Can i add some dry fruits to it

      Reply
    26. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousIf you feel like adding you can..

      Reply
    27. Anonymous

      at

      There is another recipe like this but it needs sugar, butter, milk powder and ricotta cheese. It is also a microwave recipe. The pictures you posted looks just like how I make at home.

      Reply
    28. geeth

      at

      nice recipe.. no need to add sugar ah?

      Reply
    29. Aarthi

      at

      @geethNo need to add sugar, the sweetness from condensed milk is enough

      Reply
    30. SASI REKHA

      at

      Luks yummy..Can we make on stove???

      Reply
    31. Aarthi

      at

      @SASI REKHAI think you cannot.

      Reply
    32. Anonymous

      at

      Looks very tempting... Ur recipes are really interesting and the way u post with pictures help us to understand easily.. Great job Aarthi..

      Reply
    33. Anonymous

      at

      Awesome recipes Aarthi.. You are doing a great job..!! Can I add buttermilk instead of yogurt/curd..?? If yes, how much quantity should I add..??

      Reply
    34. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousCurd is recommended. haven't tried with buttermilk.

      Reply
    35. Renu Saravana

      at

      Aarthi...inniki seythen just yeppo...sema tasty...thank you

      Reply
    36. Vaibava

      at

      Hi aarthi thank u for sharing I have a doubt can we any other milk instead of condensed milk????

      Reply
    37. Aarthi

      at

      @Vaibavano condensed milk is the trick

      Reply
    38. Purnima Selvamurugan

      at

      I tried this recipe this morning. It came out perfect... Thanks for your post...

      Reply
    39. Yasmeen Basheer

      at

      Can this khova be used to as an ingredient in all recipes that call for khova as we cant get khova in the shops here in UK.Also making it here is very difficult.

      Reply
    40. Aarthi

      at

      @Yasmeen Basheerno this is sweetened khoya, you can use this
      https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2015/03/instant-khoya-recipe-microwave-7-min.html

      https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2013/10/homemade-khoya-unsweetened-kova-khoa.html

      Reply
    41. Priya

      at

      Thanks for the detailed recipe n pictures ! I tried it today , it was a huge hit in our home 😀

      Reply
    42. Anonymous

      at

      i did same as you mentioned ...it came out perfect... but, im not able to get the shape/cut into pieces .

      Reply
    43. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousyou cannot cut into pieces. you can just put it in a bowl and unmould it..

      Reply
    44. Anonymous

      at

      I prepared in stove top... came perfectly as u got in microwave... Thames for d recipe

      Reply
    45. Anonymous

      at

      God...you made it soo easy... 🙂

      Suresh...

      Reply
    46. Anonymous

      at

      Any alternate to condensed milk ? Cn I make condensed milk at him vd milk powder o something ?

      Reply
    47. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousno sub for condensed milk

      Reply
    48. Anonymous

      at

      Thanks so much Aarthi. My six year old and I made this recipe and we had a great time. It was very yummy.

      Reply
    49. Anonymous

      at

      Hi,
      I tried this recipe and it comes out really well.
      Thanks a lot for sharing this.

      Regards,
      Swapnali

      Reply
    50. Anonymous

      at

      You are the real in the world.
      Keep rocking.
      I tried almost 100 recipes from your blog. Nothing failed.
      Keep rocking.
      I am sure that Maha will become a well balanced eating kid.

      Reply
    51. Fermie Praisid

      at

      Tried this and it came out really well. Thanks for the recipe Aarthi ☺

      Reply
    52. Anonymous

      at

      Hi Aarti,
      I tried this reciepe and came out really good. But it is bit sweeter than what i eat, can I add anything to reduce the sweetness?

      Reply
    53. Anitha Siva

      at

      Tried and came out very well.. Thank you so much for the recipe..

      Reply
    54. Deepa Krishnan

      at

      Awesome method Aarthi.. Tried it and it cane gud

      Reply
    55. Anusha Devareddy

      at

      Can v use the borosil bowl

      Reply
      • Aarthi

        at

        if it is microwave safe you can use

        Reply
    56. Unknown

      at

      Can this be made without microwave????

      Reply
      • Aarthi

        at

        not sure about that

        Reply
    57. Dharshini Anandakumar

      at

      Hi Aarthi,

      I tried your palkova recipe. It came out well. Adding a little coconut milk gives a store bought palkova consistency. Just, fyi.

      Reply
    58. Nandhini

      at

      Very nice

      Reply
    4 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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