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.
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
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.