KitchgrowKitchen growth, made calmer
Start planning free
Indian

Instant Kharvas

Instant kharvas is a Maharashtrian steamed milk pudding made with milk, condensed milk, hung curd, cardamom and nutmeg.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

Jump to recipe ↓
Instant Kharvas

55 mintotal

40 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
None
Add to your week

Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Pressure Cooker, Stovetop.

No prep-ahead step is required; chill the steamed kharvas before cutting for cleaner pieces.

Method

  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the smooth hung curd and condensed milk. Whisk them together until they are well combined and creamy.

  2. Gradually pour the full fat milk into the mixture while stirring continuously so no lumps form.

  3. Add the cardamom powder and nutmeg powder to the liquid batter. Mix gently.

  4. Pour the mixture into a greased steel container or cake tin that fits inside your steamer or pressure cooker.

  5. Sprinkle saffron strands evenly over the top of the batter.

  6. Place the container in a steamer (or a pressure cooker without the whistle, with boiling water at the base). Steam on medium heat for 25-30 minutes.

    25–30 min

  7. Insert a knife or toothpick in the center; if it comes out clean, the kharvas is ready. Remove from the steamer and let it cool to room temperature.

  8. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into diamond or square pieces to serve.

    2 hr

How to tell it's done

Kharvas should be soft, jiggly and creamy, with a clean cardamom-nutmeg aroma.

Getting it right

Tip

Use fresh, thick curd and steam gently. Sour curd or high heat can split the milk and make the pudding grainy.

What to serve it with

Serve chilled in squares or diamonds after a Maharashtrian meal.

Common mistakes

The kharvas turns grainy after steaming.
Whisk the curd smooth, cover the tin and keep the steam moderate. Sour curd is the common cause of splitting.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate kharvas covered for up to 3 days. Do not freeze it because the milk pudding can weep after thawing.