Milk (दूध) is rich in nutrients and is a staple available in every home in India. Milk is used to make chai, coffee, make by-products like paneer and curd, and is consumed by itself also. In Indian households, milk is used to make many desserts and savories too. As the lockdown extends, and we run out of ideas to cook with a handful of ingredients, here is a list of dishes you can make using milk.
Did you know that an 8 ounce (235 ml) of milk has the same amount of calcium as 16 servings of spinach?
Table of Contents
1) Chenna | Cottage Cheese
Chenna, paneer or cottage cheese can be made at home with little technique and just two ingredients – Full cream milk (full fat) and lemon juice or vinegar. Using full-fat milk ensures a rich, creamy block of paneer. Boil the milk and add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Do not boil the milk once you have added the lemon/vinegar as it will harden the chenna. You can add jeera, ginger, coriander to the milk adding the curdling agent to make masala paneer at home. If you are using homemade chenna for desserts, wash the chenna with water to remove the excess smell of the curdling agent.
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2) Kheer
Kheer is a milk-based pudding that can be served warm or cold. Kheer can be made with rice, makhanas (foxnuts), seviyan (vermicelli), sabudana (tapioca), and even fruits like apples. Sweeten it with sugar, jaggery, or even artificial sweeteners according to your tastebuds and health needs. Flavored with saffron, cardamom, and lots of dry fruits, kheer has a lot of variations throughout India. Known as payesh in the Bengal region (and made using date palm jaggery), kheer is referred to as payasam in the Southern parts of India.
3) Phirni
The smell of kasoras (clay pots in which phirni is set) attached to the experience of eating phirni is exceptional. Phirni or Firni is made with powdered rice, milk, sugar, saffron, and cardamom. You can add pistachios and almonds too. Add chandi ka varq (silver leaf) on top for that ultra-luxe touch. You can add rose essence or kewra essence to the phirni if you have some handy. Set in clay kasoras preferably, if not available set in small bowls (katoris).
4) Kulfi
Kulfi > Fancy ice creams. A thandi thandi kulfi on a sweltering hot summer day feels like heaven. Kulfi can be served on a stick (Tillewali kulfi) or with a falooda. Kulfi is a frozen Indian dessert similar to ice cream. Some commonly available flavors are kaju-kishmish, kesar-badam, pista, mango, and rose kulfi. Kulfi is being experimented on with new flavors like paan, jamun, butterscotch, and chocolate. Making kulfi at home is very easy and can be done with any ingredients you have at home like almonds, mangoes, malai, and raisins. Just make sure you use full cream milk to make kulfi as the results will be creamier.
5) Dalgona Coffee
If you haven’t given in on the viral dalgona trend till now, you can try your hand at making some now. While we all work from home, Team Mishry tried the dalgona coffee trend in their respective kitchens using different coffee brands, and here is how it went. Even though the original recipe calls for equal amounts of sugar, coffee, and water to make the creamy topping, we would strongly recommend adjusting the sugar according to your preference.
6) Fruity Ice Cream
Ice creams and summers go hand in hand. With all the ice cream vendors and ice cream parlors shut during the lockdown, craving some ice-cream post-lunch isn’t an alien feeling. Making ice cream at home is easy. All you require is milk, sugar, and flavoring agents like fresh fruit and nuts. A few recipes also call for a churner but you can make it without them too.
A brilliant activity to keep your child engaged during the lockdown, making an old-school mango/strawberry ice cream in the ice cube tray will take you back decades. Do notice the sheer happiness on their faces when you demould that thick cube of mango/strawberry ‘ice cream’.
7) Milkshakes
Thick milkshakes can prove to be a meal in themselves. The beauty of making a milkshake at home is the amount of fresh and healthy ingredients you can add to them. You can make them as sinful as you wish to or as healthy as you want them to be. Add fresh fruits, seeds, and nuts or a dollop of ice cream and lots of chocolate syrup for that diner-style look.
8) A Classic Trifle
A classic custard-jelly combination with mangoes during the summer is always welcome. If you have custard powder at home, you’ll find yourself making this every weekend. Keep stirring the custard mix to avoid the formation of lumps. To make a trifle, place crushed biscuits or cake at the bottom, add custard on top, fruits and jelly from the top. Chill and serve.
No custard powder at home? A smooth velvety custard can be made at home from scratch with milk, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla essence. You can add cardamom too.
9) White Sauce Pasta
Pasta is one thing that wasn’t a part of our country until two decades ago. Now, it’s a staple that most of have always stocked up in our pantries. Making white sauce pasta at home is easy and requires only 3 ingredients – maida, milk, and butter. You can add mayonnaise and cheese if you want to increase the creaminess of the sauce. If you want to make it maida free, white sauce can also be made with atta.
10) Kashmiri Paneer
The flavors in this variation of Kashmiri paneer are very subtle and the fragrance of whole spices takes the center stage. A handful of khada masalas like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves along with saunf powder, dry ginger powder, and lots of milk makes up for a tasty Kashmiri Paneer dish. Add big chunks of deep-fried paneer and let them simmer for 4-5 minutes before serving. Top with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with boiled rice, mooli ki chutney, and spicy dum aloo.
11) Ghiye Ka Shorba
Want to eat something healthy for dinner? Try out this quick and easy ghiye ka shorba that is filling and super fragrant. In a pressure cooker, chop ghiya (bottle gourd), onions, garlic. Add a cinnamon stick, salt, and pepper. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles. Let it cool and whizz it into a puree. Strain in a vessel, add 2 cups of milk and grated paneer on top. Adjust the salt according to taste. Consider this is as a basic ghiya-stock that can be experimented on. Add corn, mushrooms, spinach, baby corn, grated carrots, broccoli, or whatever you fancy. A bowlful of this soup is sure to satiate your dinner cravings.
About The Author
Nishtha Asrani Sethi, born and brought up in Delhi, is a content writer who has previously worked with NDTV and Resolver. Her roots are deep within the food industry, thanks to her family business and a keen interest in contemporary food products. Nishtha loves to serve her articles with a side of humor. Her Bachelor’s degree in Home Science comes in handy while researching the science behind the food. When she is not trying to win a battle of fries vs fruit with her daughter, she is busy experimenting with her huge joint family with crazy recipes.