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Khirsha
Reduced milk fudge
ক্ষীরসা (khirsha): milk slowly reduced with sugar to a thick, fudgy sweet
In the dairy belt of Sirajganj and Pabna, where milk is cheap and plentiful, khirsha is made the patient way: milk is boiled in a wide iron karai and stirred for well over an hour until it has reduced to a sixth of its volume and become a thick, pale-caramel paste, then sweetened and cooked a little longer. Sold in clay saucers or pressed into blocks, it tastes of pure cooked milk, sweet and slightly toffee-like, with a fudgy, fine-grained texture. It is eaten on its own, spread on puffed rice, rolled into pithas or packed into the shells of other sweets. Burning the bottom is the classic mishap, which makes the whole batch taste scorched, so stir constantly and scrape the corners once it thickens. Chef's tip: use a wide, heavy pan rather than a deep one; the bigger the surface, the faster the milk reduces.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 8 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 3 ⅛ oz sugar
- 2 green cardamom pods (optional)seeds ground
- 1 tsp gheefor the dish
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 8 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil in a wide, heavy pan or karai over a medium-high heat, stirring so it does not catch.
15 minStep 2: Turn the heat to medium and keep the milk at a lively simmer for 45–50 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes and scraping the skin from the sides back into the pan, until reduced to about a third.
50 minStep 3: Lower the heat and stir constantly for 12–15 minutes as it thickens into a grainy paste.
15 minStep 4: Add 3 ⅛ oz sugar and 2 green cardamom pods and cook, stirring and scraping without stopping, for 5 minutes until the sugar melts and the mixture thickens again into a soft mass that holds its shape and leaves the sides of the pan.
5 minStep 5: Spread it in a small dish greased with 1 tsp ghee, or spoon into small bowls, and cool. Cut into squares once set, or eat soft with a spoon. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khirsha take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 85 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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