Palkova / Milk Sweet

Palkova is a mouthwatering Indian sweet made up of milk and sugar.There are specific places in Indian famous for certain dishes. One among them is Srivilliputhur, Virudhunagar district, TamilNadu. Though Palkova is prepared in many places the taste of Srivilliputhur palkova is unique and unmatched.

To make one cup of palkova, we require atleast 2-3 litres of milk.Though the process is simple, it consumes a lot of time. However the outcome is so delicious that you’ll simply forget the time you spent in kitchen.

Ingredients:

Whole Milk -2 litres

Sugar – 1 cup

Cashew nuts, Pistachio, Saffron – 3 nos each(optional)

Method:

1) Take big heavy bottomed Pan.

2) Pour milk into it and boil it in high flame.

3) Keep stirring continuously or at an interval of 5 minutes when you see the level of milk slowly rising up .

4) Follow this stirring for one and half hour.

5) After one and half hour, the milk is reduced in quantity and would have become thick.

6) Turn the flame to medium level now.

7) Now add sugar to the thickened milk and stir it continuously.

8) Stir continuously without any pause. To ensure that you get an optimum colour, make sure the bottom of the pan doesn’t get burnt due to overheating .

9) After 20-30 minutes, milk looks like a thick white paste.

10) Further cooking thickens the milk paste.

11) Turn off the flame, when the milk paste is a bit watery (like a thick paste having some water content in it). The paste slightly hardens when it starts to cool down.

12) Transfer this paste to a bowl and allow it to cool down.

13) If you want your palkova to be of a square shape, pour the paste to a plate and spread it evenly. Cut them into equal squares as it cools down.

14) Decorate with cashew nuts.

15) Delicious Palkova is ready.

Note:

1) If you do not have time to do this lengthy process, add a tablespoon of lemon juice after step 4 which means when the milk starts to thick, add lemon juice and remove the whey if you find it more.