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

By PMG Engineering ·

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.

References

1.    https://agriinfo.in/preparation-of-khoa-717/

2  https://www.nddb.coop/services/ppd/dairyproducts/khoa

3.    http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=6271

4.    https://www.ijcmas.com/special/6/Shankar%20Ganpatrao%20Puri,%20et%20al.pdf

5.    https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sciences/manufacture-and-storage-of-khoa.php

6.    https://www.ijcmas.com/special/6/Shankar%20Ganpatrao%20Puri,%20et%20al.pdf

7.    http://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/Curriculum/Vocational/2015/Fluid_milk_processing_XII/Dairy-products-theory%20XII.pdf

Frequently asked
What total solids level do we need to hit for khoa, and what fat standard applies?
Khoa is a heat-coagulated, partially dehydrated milk product made by desiccating whole milk down to 65-70% total solids, without adding any external ingredients. It must contain a minimum of 30% milk fat on a dry basis. Milk fat standards for the feed milk are a minimum of 4.4% for cow milk and 5.5% for buffalo milk. Cow, buffalo, goat, sheep or mixed milk can be used.
Does buffalo milk or cow milk give better khoa?
Buffalo milk yields higher khoa output with a smoother texture, while cow milk gives a yellowish and drier khoa. Type of milk is one of the main quality determinants for khoa, alongside free fat content, which governs texture and mouthfeel, and total solids in the milk, which correlates directly with hardness, chewiness and gumminess of the finished product.
Which khoa variety should we plan for if we are supplying a sweets business?
Khoa has three varieties. Pindi is round or hemispherical, compact, smooth and homogenous with a pleasantly cooked flavour free of burnt or sour notes, and is the base for sweets such as burfi and pedha. Dhap is similarly round or hemispherical, compact, smooth and homogenous with a pleasantly cooked flavour. Danedar is granular with visible grains.
How is danedar khoa made differently from pindi and dhap?
Danedar khoa is characterised by a granular texture with visible grains. It is often made from slightly sour milk or from leftover milk remaining after producing other khoa types. To develop the grain, citric acid at 0.05-0.1% or sour whey is sometimes added. This differs from pindi and dhap khoa, which are compact, smooth and homogenous in body and texture.
What are the utility requirements for a continuous khoa making machine?
A continuous khoa making machine comprises a preheating cylinder and cascading pans, and reaches 65-70% total solids in about 25 minutes. It requires steam at 50 kg/cm2 and 4 KW/hr power. It is one of the automated options replacing traditional manual khoa methods, giving better consistency and scalability in commercial khoa production.
What throughput can we expect from the different khoa equipment options?
For khoa manufacture, the Contherm-Convap system delivers 300-350 kg/hr with efficient steam utilisation. A three-stage thin film scraped surface heat exchanger (TSSHE) gives around 50 kg khoa/hr with uniform texture through roller kneading. A scraped surface conical vat handles batches of 40 kg concentrate or 80 kg milk but suffers high product loss. An inclined scraped surface heat exchanger (ISSHE) runs continuously at 40-80 rpm rotor speed.
CITE THIS

PMG Engineering. (2021). Khoa – Composition, Varieties, Processing Equipment, and Quality Factors. PMG Engineering. https://pmg.engineering/Article/117/khoa-composition-varieties-processing-equipment-and-quality-factors/

https://pmg.engineering/Article/117/khoa-composition-varieties-processing-equipment-and-quality-factors/