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.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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.
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
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Ingredients for Palkova
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.
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.
Traditional Palkova Recipe (Step-wise Pictures)
1) Take a large heavy bottom pan and add milk to it.
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.
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.
4)Once the milk is reduced to ⅓rd of its original volume.
5)Add sugar and give it a good mix. At this point keep mixing constantly.
6)Once sugar is added. The milk will start to thicken fast.
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.
8)Add in cardamom powder and mix well. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.
9)The palkova may look a bit runny at this point. But as it cools it will thicken more.
10)Look how thick palkova looks once completely cooled.
11)Once completely cooled, you can serve this or transfer to a container.
Easy Palkova Recipe (Instant Palkova in 10 minutes)
1)Take sweetened condensed milk and a heavy bottom pan.
2)pour one can of condensed milk in the pan. It is around 400 ml.
3)Add in plain yogurt.
4)Add in butter or ghee.
5)Mix it really well so the yogurt is completely mixed into the condensed milk.
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.
7)Keep cooking this. The mixture will thicken and look a little curdled and thick at this point.
8)Keep cooking this until the mixture gets even more thick, it will take around 2 to 3 minutes.
9)After 2 to 3 mins the mixture will get thick.
10)You can turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid and allow it to cool for 15 mins.
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.
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,
📖 Recipe
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.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 511kcal
Ingredients
Palkova Recipe (Traditional)
Instant Palkova (under 10 minutes)
Instructions
Palkova Recipe (Traditional)
Instant Palkova (under 10 minutes)
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
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