Milk is a common ingredient in a number of desserts and drinks. Whether it is our favourite winter desi treat of gajar ka halwa or just the daily essential cup of cappuccino, milk is an important ingredient that finds extensive use in our kitchens. The creamy taste of milk is what makes it such a hot favourite for use in desserts and drinks, alike. There is a variety of milk that is preferred for use in a number of confections that require the finished product to taste thick and creamy, and that variety is the condensed milk, which is nothing but reduced thickened milk. Condensed milk is available in cans and is usually sweetened. Unsweetened condensed milk is also known as evaporated milk.
Sweetened condensed milk is used in barfis, halwas, cakes, brownies and cupcakes and even homemade ice-creams and kulfis, and is hence, an essential ingredient for those who love preparing desserts. You can also add it to desserts and can use it as a topping for pancakes, French toast etc. Condensed milk is readily available in stores, but for those times when you are craving some sweet but don't have a can of condensed milk lying in your refrigerator, you can simply prepare it using everyday kitchen ingredients.
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Indian Cooking Tips: How To Make Condensed Milk At Home
Condensed milk is just milk simmered with sugar, until all the water evaporates, leaving behind a thick and syrupy reduction. Condensed milk can be prepared in two ways- by simmering actual cow's milk with sugar until its quantity almost halves or blending in dry milk powder with boiling water, margarine and white sugar.
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Here's how to make condensed milk using the cooking method:
1. Take full-fat or low-fat milk with white sugar in a 5 is to 1 ratio. This means 500 grams of milk with 100 grams of sugar will work.
2. Add the milk to a deep bottomed pan and let it come to a boil. Once it boils, add the sugar and a pinch of baking soda to it. Stir the milk to ensure the sugar dissolves.
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3. Reduce the heat and let the milk simmer (not boil) on very low heat for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the time that the quantity of milk has reduced to about half of the original quantity. Keep stirring the milk continuously to avoid burning the milk. Remove from heat and allow to cool down.
Here's how to make condensed milk using the no-cook method:
1. Take a blender and put one cup of boiling hot water in it. Add one-fourth cup of margarine to it.
2. Add two cups of white sugar and four cups of dry milk powder and blend it all together.
3. Keep scraping the ingredients off the sides of the blender to ensure all the dry ingredients mix well.
You can also make non-dairy condensed milk using coconut milk and it can be prepared similar to the cooking method of the regular cow-milk based condensed milk. Happy baking!
(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)