Mawa (Khoya) Recipes for Holi & More: Sweets, Snacks, Savory Dishes, Storage Tips & Substitutes

Mawa, also known as khoya, is the heart of Indian sweets. Whether it's Holi, Diwali, or Raksha Bandhan, this rich dairy ingredient brings warmth and indulgence to festive treats. But mawa isn't just for sweets! It can transform savory dishes too! Let's dive into some must-try recipes, storage tips, and quick mawa hacks to make the most of this festive staple.

Mawa Desserts & Snacks

Festivals like Holi is incomplete without gujiyas, and what’s a gujiya without mawa? But why stop there? Here are some mawa-based sweets and snacks that will steal the show:

1. Mawa Gujiya

Crispy, flaky, and stuffed with a mix of mawa, sugar, nuts, and cardamom—this is a Holi essential.

Mawa Gujiya Recipe by Tanushri Paul

It is a deep-fried pastry stuffed with sweet mawa, coconut and dry fruits. A popular traditional North Indian sweet, which is made during Holi festival. #holi21

CookpadTanushri Paul

Gulkand mawa stuffed gujiya Recipe by Dipti Mehrotra

Gulkand- mawa stuffed guzia is an interesting way of making guzia made with mawa, gulkand and lots of dry fruits stuffing. The deep fried guzia is more tasty. #Holi2022

CookpadDipti Mehrotra

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2. Mawa Malpua

Deep-fried pancakes soaked in saffron syrup. The addition of mawa makes them extra soft and rich.

Khoya Malpua Recipe by Jasmin Motta _ #BeingMotta

#weeklymenu #dessert #malpua # Cookpad India Traditional sweets served as dessert. Malpua are made from maida or wheat flour, khoya and pua( puris) are deep fry and soaked in sugar syrup. Also can be serve with rabri.

CookpadJasmin Motta _ #BeingMotta

Stuffed bread malpua with rabdi Recipe by Debjani Dutta

#holisweets #goldenapron

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Firni cake Malpua Recipe by Bibhasini Patra

#millet #flavour2

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3. Mawa Kachori

A Rajasthani delight—these crunchy kachoris have a sweet mawa filling, often enjoyed with a drizzle of sugar syrup.

Shahi dry fruits mawa kachori Recipe by Bobly Rath

#masterchef #goldenapron This a delicious festive sweet dish in which the deep fried crispy and crunchy kachoris which are packed with the mixture of mawa, saffron and dry fruits and also then dipped in sugar syrup. The lip smacking taste of these kachoris must attract the guests during any festive …

CookpadBobly Rath

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4. Mawa Peda

Super easy and made with just mawa, sugar, and cardamom. Shape them into small discs and top with pistachios.

Mawa Peda / Khoya Peda Recipe by Swati Keshri 👩‍🍳

#DIWALI2021 #COOKPADINDIA Mawa Peda or Khoya Peda is a perfect choice for Festivals or Celebrations like diwali or navratri... Making peda with mawa is easy, quick and does not take much time. In this recipe the more you will roast the mawa, the more good it would taste and can be stored and consume…

CookpadSwati Keshri 👩‍🍳

Kesar Mawa Peda Recipe by Rosalyn_Kitchen

#TheChefStory #ATW2 #Week2 #SweetRecipes #Aroundtheworldchallenge Kesar Mawa Peda Recipe is one of the easiest Indian sweet to make and doesn’t require too much time or effort. It is made by combining sweetened khoya with other flavors such as saffron and cardamom and formed into peda shape.

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5. Mawa Coconut Ladoo

A simple mix of mawa, coconut, and condensed milk creates these melt-in-your-mouth ladoos.

Nariyal-Mawa Laddu Recipe by Naheed Alam

This Indian sweet is easy to make and very delicious as well.This laddu is favourit of children.Have a look.

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Fresh coconut laddu Recipe by Mukti Sahay

#cookingwithcoconut

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6. Mawa Jalebi

Instant Mawa Jalebis Recipe by Sudeshna Rajib Das

#rakhi I have tried to make it without adding any mawa in it but it tastes no less than original mawa jalebis....checkout the recipe below.

CookpadSudeshna Rajib Das

Instant Mawa Jalebi (Jabalpur MP ki famous jalebi) Recipe by Shradha Nema (foodgazin’)

#boxweek8 #cookpadIndia Have you ever had mava jalebi? Crisp on the outer side and juicy on inside. Yum! This is a traditional sweet of Madhya Pradesh. This sweet is made only with mava and maida and fried in desi ghee and then dipped in thick sugar syrup. Here I share an easy recipe of mava jalebi …

CookpadShradha Nema (foodgazin’)

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Mawa in Savory Dishes: 4 Amazing Recipes

Mawa isn’t just for sweets! It adds richness and creaminess to many savory dishes. Try these unique ideas:

1. Mawa Paneer Kofta

Soft paneer and khoya dumplings in a spiced gravy.

Khoya Paneer Kofta in Creamy Khoya Gravy Recipe by Jasmin Motta _ #BeingMotta

#goldenapron3 #week 8 #puzzle ingredient.. khoya

CookpadJasmin Motta _ #BeingMotta

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2. Mawa Paratha

A royal take on parathas, filled with a lightly spiced mawa-nut mixture.

Mawa Paratha Recipe by Chef Tripti Saxena

#HBC

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Mawa Paratha (leftover sweet paratha.) Recipe by Mamta L. Lalwani

#paratha #teamtrees #onerecipeonetree

CookpadMamta L. Lalwani

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3. Mawa Tikki

Get a creamy upgrade with mawa.

Yummy Yam Tikki Recipe by Kalpana Rai

This yam tikki is a new recipe as mostly you must be using yam as a vegetable and not as a tikki. This is the best form to give your children protein, carb and many more nutrients.It has yam, potato and mawa, which give it a nice taste. #GA4 #Week 14 -Yam- Recipe’s name

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Mawa cutlet Recipe by Sana Irfan

#5pm... Milk curdled? No tension... Here’s a super suggestion.. Try it.. Yummy #mouthwatering.. Lip smacking

CookpadSana Irfan

4. Mawa Baati

A rich version of dal baati, where mawa is kneaded into the baati dough for extra softness.

Mawa bati Recipe by Mamata Satpati

#cookpadturns2

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Mawa Bati Recipe by Darshana Patel

#DDC I learnt this recipe from Cookpad and I tried...oh my God..so yummy..

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More Delicious recipes of Mawa (Khoya)

Milk Cake / Alwar ka mawa Recipe by spicequeen

Milk cake is also known as Alwar ka mawa which is a traditional Indian sweet prepared using milk, sugar and ghee. Alum powder or fitkari is used to split the milk and then the milk is reduced until it is thick like mawa. This sweet is time consuming but it is worth trying. Homemade milk cake turns o…

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Pink Mawa Burfi Recipe by renu bhasin

#pinkoctoberwithcookpad Mawa Burfi is a delicious, melt-in-the-mouth, and beyond-the-easy recipe. It is one of the popular Indian sweets and is made during festivals. Making burfi requires only two main ingredients: Mawa and sugar.

Cookpadrenu bhasin

Mawa Lassi Delicious Drink Recipe by i_m_kashish

The summer season is here in all its glory.thandi lassi toh banti hai 🥛 #Kitchenbingo ⁣

Cookpadi_m_kashish

Mawa puri Recipe by DROOLSOME MORSEL BY AFREEN WASEEM

#FM #w4 #cookpadindia Scrumptious & delicious dessert for all occasions..!

CookpadDROOLSOME MORSEL BY AFREEN WASEEM

Mawa Samosa Recipe by Sanuber Ashrafi

#deep21 #swwets #cookpadindia Mawa samosa is a sweet version of normal samosa. It is a special sweet of my city Jamshedpur on the occasion of diwali.

CookpadSanuber Ashrafi

Kala Jamun with Instant Mawa Recipe by pragya bharti

Kala Jamun is an exotic sweet recipe prepared with milk solid known as khoya/mawa. This kala jamun made at home gives you wondrous feeling of biting into a gulab jamun but in a more handy form. Typically, gulab jamun /kala jamun is prepared with khoya which is prepared by evaporated milk, but in thi…

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Lobongo Lotika Recipe by Kumkum Chatterjee

#holispecial post -2 #sweets This is a traditional Bengali sweet prepared during the festive season of Holi,Dussehra etc.It is prepared like an envelope with maida dough and stuffed with a filling of coconut, mawa etc.

CookpadKumkum Chatterjee

How to Make Instant Mawa Using Just 3 Ingredients

No mawa at home? No problem!

Here are some recipes you can try:

Instant Mawa / Khoya Recipe by Kanika Pareek

Mawa/khoya.. It is the most important ingredient in many Indian sweet dishes. It is made by boiling milk and constant stirring it for hours till milk solids are left. So..today I am sharing an easy and instant recipe of making mawa at home in just 15 minutes. This mawa can be used while making festi…

CookpadKanika Pareek

Instant khoya from milk powder Recipe by DrPushpa Dixit

#ga24 Khoya is dried evaporated milk solids. Traditionally, full fat milk is cooked down for long hours until most of the moisture has evaporated leaving behind reduced milk solids. The process of making khoya involves continuous stirring and cooking down milk over low heat until it transforms into …

CookpadDrPushpa Dixit

Homemade Mawa from Malai Recipe by Jasmin Motta _ #BeingMotta

#goldenapron3 #week12 #puzzle ingredient Malai . Quick and easy to prepare khoya ( mawa) at home . To use in making sweets, cakes, in subzi. This recipe was inspired by the author Deepa Rupani ’s words.( That she make khoya from Malai). I created it by my own version.

CookpadJasmin Motta _ #BeingMotta

Mix well until it forms a soft dough-like consistency. That’s it! Use it as a substitute in any recipe.

Mawa Storage & Shelf Life: Keep It Fresh Longer

Mawa can spoil fast if not stored properly. Here’s how you can make it last longer:

Refrigerate: Fresh mawa stays good for 2–3 days in an airtight container.

Freeze: For longer storage, wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before using.

More Mawa Substitutes: What to Use When You Run Out

If you're out of mawa, try these alternatives:

Milk powder + warm milk – Best for sweets and gravies.

Ricotta cheese – Gives a similar creamy texture, perfect for kalakand or rabri.

Condensed milk – Works well for ladoos and barfis.

Mawa isn’t just an ingredient—it’s a festival essential. Whether you’re making sweets, experimenting with savory dishes, or looking for storage hacks, these tips will help you enjoy mawa to the fullest.

So, get creative with mawa and bring joy to your festive table!

What’s your favorite mawa-based dish!