Name: Kova Kajjikaya-Easy recipe using frozen coconut and Instant Khoya
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 340 gms/12 oz frozen grated coconut (thawed overnight in fridge); 2 cups brown sugar (packed); 1 cup Full fat milk*; 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder/elaichi powder; 1 tsp ghee* (only if using low fat milk); 1 stick/8 tbsp/ 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted(Microwave for 1 minute to melt it)); 1 can/14 oz/396 gms Condensed Milk (I used Eagle Brand); 1 1/3 cup Full Fat Milk Powder (I used Nido brand Milk Powder); 1/4 tsp elaichi powder/crushed green cardamom powder

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This recipe is a combination of two favorites-Coconut Laddoos and Doodh Peda. First a filling of coconut is made which is then wrapped in soft, delicious khoya/peda. A quick and easy version of the traditional dessert from Andhra Pradesh.

This recipe is very easy as it uses frozen coconut and Instant khoya/peda, made in 4 minutes in the microwave. No sugar syrup needed which can be tricky for some and also no thickening of milk for hours to get the khoya/kova.

Living in the US, its impossible to get good quality coconut and if you do get it, the whole process of cracking it open and scraping the inside can be pretty time consuming. So using frozen coconut is a quick and easy way of making the coconut filling/laddoos without compromising on taste. The filling reminded me of the pralines so popular in New Orleans and Savannah after all they both are made of brown sugar and milk! Except of course we are using coconut instead of pecans.

This recipe is shared by my friend and food enthusiast Anu. I had previously shared her Ricotta Cheese Rabri made in the oven and her Instant Doodh Peda recipe which is what we will be using today to wrap the coconut balls.

Some other easy dessert recipes to try out-

Instant Rabri in 4 minutes in microwave

12 Easy Indian Desserts ready in 10 minutes

Moong Dal Halwa

Gulab Jamun and Rabri Shots

Collection of Easy and Quick Laddoo Recipes

No Chashni Shakkarpare

Rose Mousse Shots-No Eggs No Gelatin No Agar Agar

Here is the written recipe followed by the video and step by step pictorial one

Kova Kajjikaya-Easy recipe using frozen coconut and Instant Khoya

Aanchal Gupta

A quick and easy version of the traditional dessert from Andhra Pradesh. This recipe is very easy as it uses frozen coconut and Instant khoya/peda, made in 4 minutes. No sugar syrup needed. This recipe is a combination of two favorites-coconut laddoos which are then wrapped in soft, delicious khoya/peda.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings laddoos

Ingredients

For coconut laddoo/ filling

340 gms/12 oz frozen grated coconut thawed overnight in fridge
2 cups brown sugar packed
1 cup Full fat milk*
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder/elaichi powder
1 tsp ghee* only if using low fat milk

For the khoya/peda covering

1 stick/8 tbsp/ 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted(Microwave for 1 minute to melt it)
1 can/14 oz/396 gms Condensed Milk I used Eagle Brand
1 1/3 cup Full Fat Milk Powder I used Nido brand Milk Powder
1/4 tsp elaichi powder/crushed green cardamom powder

Instructions

For the coconut laddoo/filling

In a pan,put coconut,brown sugar and milk and cook on medium high to high flame till the liquid dries and coconut comes together(took about 20-25 minutes,don’t over cook)
Turn off heat and add elaichi powder and mix well
Cool for 5-7 minutes,grease palms with ghee and make small laddoos/balls while the filling is still hot
Let the coconut laddoos/balls cool and come to room temperature

for the Instant Khoya/kova/peda

In a large bowl,mix the melted butter,condensed milk and Milk Powder
Microwave for 2 minutes, mix well, breaking all the milk solids and lumps
Microwave again for one minute, breaking all the lumps and making it smooth with the spatula
Add elaichi powder, mix well and cook for 30 seconds, mix well and cook for an additional 30 seconds
So its 2 minutes, plus 1 minute and then in increments of 30 seconds, for a total of 4 minutes
Cool for few minutes

for assembling the kova kajjikayalu

When khoya is still hot,take some khoya(same size as the coconut laddoo) and flatten it on your palm
Place the coconut laddoo/filling in the center of the khoya and completely cover the coconut laddoo/filling with the khoya,smooth by rolling between palms
Store in refrigerator, tastes best at room temperature

Notes

I have used Vadilal brand frozen coconut. I thawed it overnight in the fridge. If you have full fat milk, omit the ghee. I had 1% milk at home, so I used ghee to compensate for the fat in the milk. Cook the coconut till all the moisture has dried up and it comes together. Don’t over dry/over cook, it becomes difficult to shape the coconut laddoos when the filling cools. Shape them while the coconut is hot.Grease palms with ghee to make the coconut laddoos/balls. Wash hands after making 4-5 ladoos and continue making the balls/laddoos. It is hard to make the first few as the mixture is hot. I have used full fat milk powder for the kova/khoya/peda, but have made it with fat free milk powder as well. I felt the khoya was more pliable for wrapping when made with full fat milk powder. The coconut balls/laddoos can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring the coconut balls to room temperature before using them as a filling for the Kova kajjikaya. I use a measuring spoon to scoop the peda mix, this ensures even size. The khoya covering is not supposed to be thick. My khoya and coconut balls/laddoos were approximately the same size.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Here is the video recipe of Kova Kajjikaya using frozen coconut and Instant Khoya

Here is the step by step pictorial recipe-

Ingredients for the filling

In a pan,put coconut,brown sugar,milk and ghee(If you are using full fat milk then you don’t need ghee, I used 1% milk)

Cook on medium high to high flame till the liquid dries and coconut comes together(took me about 20-25 minutes,don’t over cook)

Turn off heat and add cardamom/elaichi powder and mix well

Cool for 5-7 minutes,grease palms with ghee and make small laddoos/balls while the filling is still hot
Let the coconut laddoos/balls cool and come to room temperature

You can make the balls a day before, cover and store in refrigerator

In a large bowl,mix the melted butter,condensed milk and Milk Powder

Microwave for 2 minutes, mix well, breaking all the milk solids and lumps

Below picture is after 2 minutes in the microwave

Microwave again for one minute, breaking all the lumps and making it smooth with the spatula

Below picture is after 3 minutes in the microwave

Add elaichi powder, mix well and cook for 30 seconds, mix well and cook for an additional 30 seconds
So its 2 minutes, plus 1 minute and then in increments of 30 seconds, for a total of 4 minutes

(Microwaves vary, for me it took 4 minutes but it can take up to 6-7 minutes)

Cool for few minutes

While khoya is still relatively hot,take some khoya(same size as the coconut laddoo) and flatten it on your palm

(Because the khoya is hot, the first few can be difficult to make)

Place the coconut laddoo/filling in the center of the khoya and completely cover the coconut laddoo/filling with the khoya, Smooth by rolling between palms

If you made the coconut balls the day before, bring it to room temperature before wrapping in the khoya