Articles

Khoa – Composition, Varieties, Processing Equipment, and Quality Factors

By PMG Engineering Team · Published December 22, 2021

What is Khoa?

Khoa is a heat-coagulated, partially dehydrated milk product obtained by desiccating cow, buffalo, or a mix of milk varieties (including goat or sheep) without adding external ingredients. It must contain at least 30% milk fat on a dry basis. Predominantly manufactured in the unorganized dairy sector, khoa is produced by reducing whole milk to 65–70% total solids.

A. Chemical and Nutritive Content of Khoa

The nutritive value of khoa makes it a high-demand product:

Energy: ~458 Kcal per 100g
Rich in: Proteins, lactose, fat, calcium, vitamins A, D, and B-complex
Fat Standards: Minimum 4.4% (cow milk), 5.5% (buffalo milk)

Varieties of Khoa

There are three distinct varieties of khoa. They differ in their composition, body and textural characteristics and end use.

Pindi

Shape: Round or hemispherical
Texture: Compact, smooth, homogenous
Flavor: Pleasantly cooked, free of burnt or sour notes
Use: Base for sweets like burfi and pedha

Dhap

Shape: Round or hemispherical
Texture: Compact, smooth, homogenous
Flavor: Pleasantly cooked, free of burnt or sour notes

Danedar

Texture: Granular with visible grains
Processing: Often made from slightly sour milk or leftover milk from other khoa types
Additives: Sometimes citric acid (0.05–0.1%) or sour whey is added

Factors affecting the quality of Khoa

Type of Milk:

Buffalo milk yields higher output, smoother texture
Cow milk results in yellowish, drier khoa

Free Fat Content:

Balanced free fat is crucial for texture and mouthfeel

Total Solids in Milk:

Directly correlates with hardness, chewiness, and gumminess

Working of Khoa:

Proper working prevents lactose crystallization and improves shelf-life

Equipment's Used for manufacturing of khoa

Modern food processing consultants and food technology firms are driving innovation in khoa production. Traditional manual methods are being replaced by automated khoa making machines for consistency and scalability.

Continuous khoa making machine

Components: Preheating cylinder, cascading pans
Output: 65–70% solids in ~25 mins
Requirements: 50 kg/cm² steam, 4 KW/hr power

Scraped surface conical vat

Batch capacity: 40 kg concentrate or 80 kg milk
Disadvantage: High product loss

Contherm- Convap System

Throughput: 300–350 kg/hr
Efficient steam utilization

Thin film scraped surface heat exchanger (TSSHE)

3-stage machine
Output: ~50 kg khoa/hr
Benefit: Uniform texture via roller kneading

Inclined scraped surface heat exchanger (ISSHE)

Feed: Pre-concentrated milk (40–55% T.S.)
Rotor speed: 40–80 rpm
Efficient for continuous production

Conclusion

Khoa continues to dominate the indigenous dairy segment. With increasing demand for quality and food safety, there is an urgent need to modernize traditional production through engineering innovation, process automation, and food consultancy services.