Indian milk cake/ Alwar ka mawa

Milk cake was never on my list, but it is certainly one of my mother’s favorite sweets. Milk cake needs very few ingredients but a lot of patience. It does take a lot of elbow grease. But if you decide to go down this lane, trust me you will be wowed with this delightful treat, Indian milk cake or Alwar ka mawa.

Why should you try this recipe?

• Literally a 4 ingredient recipe easily available in your kitchen
• Tastes 100 times better than the store-bought
• Pure and Preservative free
• Less sugar recipe than those sold in stores
• Can be eaten on fasts
• Dessert to impress
• Even if you fail at making milk cake, you will end up with a kalakand

So, nothing will go down the waste disposal bin, even if you fail.

 Milk cake is also called Alwar ka Mawa because it is basically a Mawa ( dried milk sweet) and it originated from Alwar, Rajasthan.

Texture of the milk cake

Indian Milk Cake or Alwar ka mawa is thickened milk, which is coagulated halfway, then sweetened. It is further condensed until it loses all the moisture and the fat, and protein granules are left.

It has a very characteristic grainy texture, which is actually the milk fat and protein globules. These are created by coagulating the milk with the help of alum. Yes, it is a food-grade alum that is used to coagulate the milk. Please note that we are not looking to curdle the milk here. If the milk is curdled, there will be a separation of whey and curdles. But that is not desired in milk cake. We need to make sure that the whey does not separate throughout the process. That is why a very little amount of coagulant is added.

Coagulant

Now, alum is not that easily available so, I have made this recipe without alum.

I will be using lime juice which a pantry staple. But extra care needs to be taken while using it. A little extra of lime juice can cause the milk to curdle and whey to separate. But we do not want the whey to separate. We rather want to initiate the protein and fat separation but not finish it. If it happens, the result will be fluffy kalakand and not the dense and rich milk cake. You will still have a delicious dessert at your hand, so at least give it a try.

Some handy tips to make perfect milk cake or Alwar ka mawa every time.

I have failed multiple times, so let me give you some pointers to avoid separation of whey while coagulating the milk.

1. Always have the flame at low: Milk cake recipe requires slow cooking throughout. If you are reducing or curdling when the flame is high, there are pretty good chances that the milk curdles and whey will separate. So, always keep the flame on low to medium heat settings.
2. Use very little coagulant at a time: Add in batches: Do not add the entire coagulant in one shot. It will give a sudden shock to the milk and it might curdle. So, we want to add it in batches of ¼ a teaspoon at a time and mix well. 
3. Add Sugar in small batches: It is not uncommon for the sugar to contain impurities. And if the entire sugar is added at once there are chances that the milk might curdle. So it is advised to add the sugar in small batches. I like to add it in 4 batches. Also, if possible use the type of sugar which is very white ( because it is cleaner and well refined) rather than pale white ones.
4. Take note of the type of milk.

Understanding the type of milk

• I normally use homogenized milk as that is easily available here. And it is slightly more stable than the milk which is only pasteurized. So it needs more acid to coagulate than pasteurized milk. The raw milk, when compared to processed milk is very unstable and curdles very easily.
• It takes me between 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of lime juice to coagulate the homogenized milk. This quantity actually varies with the freshness of the milk (the due date). The ones closer to the expiry date takes less acid ( 1 ½ tsp). Ideally, it should form good granules at 2 teaspoons of lime juice. I have also used pasteurized milk to make milk cake and it curdled just at ½ teaspoon.
• So, always take note of the type of milk you are using and add in small batches. it is a good idea to add, mix, and wait for a minute or 2 before adding the next batch of coagulant.

        So, just take care of these few things, and you will end up with the dessert of your dreams.

A Little talk about the color

Since we are making a small volume recipe the color will not be like the ones we get in the market. 

But taste-wise it will definitely do justice.

Professional Halwai makes it in large portions and put in a mold and cover with thick towels. As the hot milk cake cools faster on the sides than that in the center, the sides remain lighter and the center one caramelizes further due to its internal heat and becomes browner. That’s why the milk cake slices that we normally get in market are variegated.

So, if you are really looking for the color pattern in your Indian milk cake or Alwar ka mawa, double the recipe and use a small mold, so that the cake layer is thicker and pattern could be formed.

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Indian Milk cake or Alwar ka Mawa

Indian milk cake or Alwar ka mawa is known for its characteristic grainy texture and mouthfeel. It is thickened milk, which is coagulated halfway, and then sweetened. It is further condensed until it loses all the moisture and the fat, and protein granules are left.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Alwar ka mawa, Brown kalakand, indian milk cake

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 bars

Calories 207kcal

Author Meenakshi

Ingredients

• 1.5 liters whole milk 6 cups (homogenized)
• 185 g Sugar slightly less than a cup
• 2 teaspoon Lime juice
• 30 g Ghee 2 tablespoons
• ½ teaspoon Corn syrup optional

Instructions

• Place a heavy bottom pan, preferably a kadhai ( never use iron kadhai for milk recipes)on the gas. Pour milk and bring it to a quick boil while stirring in between.
• Reduce the flame to medium-low and let the milk simmer while stirring regularly with a long flat steel ladle. Make sure that the milk does not stick to the bottom and keep scraping down the malai ( cream) sticking to sides of the pan with the flat ladle.
• Keep reducing the milk till it reduces to half the volume. It can take well more than an hour.
• In the meantime, weigh the sugar and set it aside. Also, grease a pan (mold) for cake.
• Once the milk thickens and reduces to half the volume, start adding coagulant in small batches. Add ¼ teaspoon first and mix well. Wait for 2 minutes and then add the next. Invest 12 – 15 minutes in coagulating the milk. Observe the flat surface of the ladle and see if there are any fat or protein particles on it. Stop when you see that grains are forming.
• Now, keep reducing the milk further, till it becomes thick Rabri-like consistency. Keep stirring more regularly throughout this process. ( It is very prone to sticking at the bottom and burning at this stage.)
• Eyeball the sugar into 3 equal parts and add in batches. Add the first batch and mix well. Cook for 2- 3 minutes and then add the second batch. Repeat till all the sugar is added and mixed.
• Stir continuously till it stops to bubble and starts to come together. It will become bubbling lava with the addition of sugar. So, use a ladle with a long handle.
• Now add 1 teaspoon of ghee and mix well. Followed by the second teaspoon of ghee and a mix.
• Increase the flame slightly and keep cooking while continuously stirring.
• Cook it till milk cake starts to leave sides and form into one big lump.
• You can choose to cook further for a minute or two till the golden brown color is formed. The more you cook, the sugar caramelizes and yields a browner looking milk cake. But, do not overcook at this point. It can make the milk cake hard. At this point add the corn syrup and mix.
• Immediately transfer into a greased pan. Level and make uniform from the top by pressing with a silicone ladle or something similar. Cover with lid and wrap the pan in a thick towel and set aside for 3 hours.
• Uncover and remove from the pan on to a plate. Cut into pieces and enjoy warm.
• Store in refrigerator in an airtight container and enjoy for a week.

Notes

1. Always keep the flame at low if you are leaving it unattended. If the milk boils off the pan and spills, a lot of fat is lost.
2. Stir continuously after the milk thickens. At this stage, it can easily stick to the bottom and get burnt. A slightest of burnt odor spoils the entire flavor of the milk cake.
3. As you know that we are not using any flavorings. Slow-cooked milk has its own flavor. So choose to cook at the low flame as much as possible.
4. Add coagulant in small batches and wait for at least 2 minutes before adding the second batch. Look for the level of coagulation before adding the second batch.
5. After adding sugar, it starts to bubble a lot. Also, the sugar can stick to the bottom and burn. So, stirring continuously while protecting yourself is very important at this stage. That is why I suggest using a ladle with a long handle. Use some lid as a shield or use some kind of protective gloves.