The cheese obtained by reducing milk for a long time on open skillet is known as Mawa. It is a wonderful addition to many sweet and savory dishes in the Indian cuisine. It gives an extra creaminess to the dish that is just unexplainable! This cheese also happens to be one of the easiest to prepare. All you have to do is heat the milk for a long time without putting in much of your efforts.
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How to make Mawa (milk cheese)
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Description
Mawa is a rich, creamy cheese made by reducing whole milk, perfect for adding depth to both sweet and savory Indian dishes.
Ingredients
- 1 liter whole milk (around 33 oz or 1/5th gallon)
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a deep bottomed pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
- Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer the milk.
- Stir the milk occasionally, approximately every 10 minutes, to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Continue heating and stirring the milk until it reduces significantly and reaches a thick, creamy consistency. This process can take between 1 to 2 hours.
- Once reduced, remove the pan from heat and let the mawa cool before using it in your recipes.
Notes
- It takes anywhere between 1 to 2 hours to make mawa, depending on the heat and the type of pan used.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan to prevent the milk from burning.
- Store mawa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Mawa can be used in various Indian sweets like gulab jamun and barfi.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 8
- Cholesterol: 30
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when the mawa is done?
Start with 1 liter of whole milk and cook on medium-low, stirring every 10 minutes. The process takes 1 to 2 hours (the notes say it varies by heat level and pan type). The mawa is done when it has reduced significantly and reached a thick, creamy, almost solid consistency — it should hold its shape when pressed rather than flowing like thickened cream. 
What can I use mawa in?
The article says mawa is used widely across Indian sweet and savory dishes and gives an “extra creaminess” that’s hard to replicate with other ingredients. The notes specifically mention gulab jamun and barfi as classic uses — and it’s also the key filling ingredient in the site’s Mawa Gujiya recipe.
