Indian
Gluten freeKhurchan
Scraped milk skin sweet
खुरचन: Mathura and Old Delhi layers of milk skin scraped from the kadhai and stacked with sugar
Khurchan means 'scrapings', and in Mathura and the sweet lanes of Old Delhi it is made by simmering milk in a wide iron kadhai and lifting off the skin that forms, layer after layer, then stacking the sheets with a sprinkle of sugar and cardamom. It is a winter sweet, sold in small squares, and offered at Janmashtami in Krishna's town. It takes patience, not skill. The common mistake is letting the milk boil, which breaks the skin; keep it just steaming, never bubbling. Chef's tip: fan the surface of the milk gently with a paper plate between layers; the cooler air makes the skin form faster and thicker.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Serves
- 6
- Per serving
- 260 kcal
Ingredients
For the khurchan
- 8 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ oz pistachiosthinly sliced
- 1 pinch saffron strands (optional)
Tick what you have; the rest goes in the basket.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pour 8 ¼ cups full-fat milk into a wide, heavy kadhai or frying pan and bring it to a gentle steam over medium heat, not a boil.
10 minStep 2: Turn the heat to low so the milk only steams and trembles. After 6–8 minutes a thick skin forms; push it gently to the side of the pan with a flat spatula, where it will cling.
8 minStep 3: Keep collecting skin every 5–6 minutes, pushing each layer onto the sides, until about a fifth of the milk is left, about 1½ hours. Do not stir.
90 minStep 4: Mix 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar and ½ tsp ground cardamom. Scrape the dried skin from the sides with a flat spatula and lay the sheets in a small tray, sprinkling sugar between layers and spooning a little of the remaining thick milk over.
10 minStep 5: Top with ½ oz pistachios and 1 pinch saffron strands, cool, then chill 2 hours until set. Cut into squares; keep in the fridge and eat within 3 days.
5 min
KrazyBadal
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