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Kharvas (steamed milk-and-curd pudding, home method)
Home-style steamed saffron milk pudding set with curd and condensed milk
Kharvas is a festive treat in Maharashtra and Gujarat, traditionally made from the first milk a cow gives after calving, which sets into a wobbly pudding when steamed. That milk is hard to find in cities, so home cooks in Pune and Mumbai make a version with ordinary milk, curd and condensed milk, and that is the method here. It is steamed until it sets into a soft, sliceable square with a slightly springy texture, coloured with saffron and lightly sweetened with jaggery, with a hint of nutmeg. Families serve it at room temperature or cold as a teatime sweet, especially in the monsoon and around Ganesh Chaturthi. There is no egg: the curd and condensed milk proteins set on steaming the way colostrum does, and the condensed milk gives body and binds it. Chef's tip: whisk the mixture until completely smooth and strain it, because lumps of curd are the common mistake that leaves holes and a grainy set.
- Total time
- 160 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat milk
- 9 oz plain full-fat curd (yogurt)fresh, not sour
- 1 oz jaggerygrated
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp gheefor greasing
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Warm 2 tbsp of 1 cup full-fat milk and soak 1 pinch saffron threads in it for 10 minutes. Dissolve 1 oz jaggery in another 3 tbsp of warm milk.
10 minStep 2: Whisk 9 oz plain full-fat curd (yogurt) until smooth, then whisk in 7 oz sweetened condensed milk, the remaining milk, the saffron milk and the jaggery milk.
Step 3: Add ¼ tsp ground cardamom and 1 pinch grated nutmeg and strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing any lumps through.
Step 4: Grease a 15–18 cm round or square steel tin with 1 tsp ghee and pour in the mixture. Cover with foil.
Step 5: Steam in a covered pan over gently simmering water on a medium-low heat for 25–30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top springs back.
30 minStep 6: Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours, until firm enough to slice.
120 minStep 7: Run a knife around the edge and cut into squares. Serve cool; it keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kharvas (steamed milk-and-curd pudding, home method) take?
- About 160 minutes in total: 130 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of sweetened condensed milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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