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Palkova
Milk fudge
பால்கோவா: milk slowly reduced with sugar into a soft, grainy, lightly caramelised fudge, the Srivilliputhur way
Srivilliputhur, the temple town of Andal near Virudhunagar, is so famous for its palkova that it has a protected geographical name. Local cows' milk is reduced in wide iron pans over a wood fire with sugar until it becomes a soft, grainy, pale caramel-coloured fudge, sold on banana-leaf squares and eaten as a sweet with tea or after meals. The mistake is turning the heat up to save time; the milk scorches, tastes burnt and the texture turns tough. Chef's tip: use full-fat milk and a wide, heavy pan, and stir the bottom and sides constantly in the last twenty minutes.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 litres full-fat milk
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 tsp ghee
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom (optional)optional
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Grease a wide, heavy pan with 1 tsp ghee. Bring 2 litres full-fat milk to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring.
10 minStep 2: Keep at a steady, lively simmer, stirring every few minutes and scraping the cream from the sides back in, until reduced to about a third, 45 minutes.
45 minStep 3: Add 3 ½ oz sugar and keep stirring. The milk thins briefly, then thickens again and turns grainy and pale beige.
15 minStep 4: Lower the heat and stir constantly until it gathers in the centre of the pan as a soft, sticky mass and the colour deepens to light caramel, 12–15 minutes. Stir in ¼ tsp ground cardamom if using.
15 minStep 5: Transfer to a bowl and cool. It firms slightly. Store chilled for up to 5 days and serve at room temperature.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does palkova 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.
- 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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