Khoya is a common ingredient used in Indian desserts but it is not always available at my local grocery store. If you are making a recipe that calls for khoya but find yourself in the same situation have no fear! I will let you know the top alternatives for khoya that you can use in your recipe.
Depending on what ingredients you have on hand you should be able to replace khoya without making a trip to a specialty grocer.
So what are the best substitutes for khoya in desserts?
The top khoya substitutes are condensed milk, ricotta cheese, powdered milk, or to prepare your own khoya at home.
Khoya Alternatives
If you have the time, I suggest making your own khoya. It’s simple and you can read how below. But if you want a quick replacement use one of the three replacements since most will have at least one of them in their pantry already.
Condensed Milk
A favorite for hundreds of years, condensed milk is a great option. It has the exact texture and consistency of traditional khoya; just use one that has been reconstituted with water. While not as common as you may think, you can find it in most supermarkets.
Remember that the sugar and water must be added to increase the milk’s flavor and density (if not already sweetened). You can substitute half as much condensed milk for an equal amount of khoya.
Ricotta Cheese
Cheese is another good option for a khoya substitute. The cheese will already be sweetened and salty so no additional additions are necessary. Start at a 1:2 ratio and add ricotta cheese to taste.
Powdered Milk
Powdered milk can be used as a substitute for khoya in recipes. You can also use reconstituted powdered milk to make fresh khoya. Simply add sugar and water, stir, and the milk will thicken into the texture of khoya.
How To Make Your Own Khoya
The process for making khoya at home takes time but it is easy to do. Once set up you will keep your khoya over heat while only stirring occasionally.
You will need a non stick deep saucepan and about five cups of whole fat milk.
To make khoya add your milk to your saucepan and bring it to medium heat. Bring it to a full boil and then reduce your heat to low and allow it to simmer.
Stir your khoya every few minutes to prevent burning and continue for about fifty minutes. Your khoya will take on a grainy texture and you will start stirring constantly at this point.
Continue stirring over low heat until khoya reaches a dough like consistency which will take about another half an hour.
And that’s all it takes to make homemade khoya.
Tips For Making Great Khoya
Avoid using low fat milk instead of full fat milk in the recipe to prevent lumps.
A pinch of cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger can be added to khoya if desired.
You can also use powdered milk or condensed milk instead of whole fat milk but I’ve found the consistency to not be as good.
If you do not have enough whole fat milk to make your khoya, simply substitute half and half for the whole fat version.
Bottom Line
“Khoya is a common ingredient used in Indian desserts but it is not always available at my local grocery store. If you are making a recipe that calls for khoya but find yourself in the same situation just use one of these alternatives or make your own for a truly authentic flavor.