Kova Bun

Kova Bun – Soft bread rolls filled with sweet khoya(dried milk solids) mixture. Quick and delicious Indian treat for an evening snack.

What is kova bun?

Kova Bun or Palkova Bun is typically a type of Indian sweet milk bun stuffed with sweet khoya (milk solids) filling. These bread rolls are popular in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu and can be found in bakeries, sweet shops and street stalls.

Traditionally, the filling is made by slowly simmering full-fat milk until it thickens and reduces to a solid consistency. To reduce the cooking time, I have used store-bought unsweetened mawa. The sweet kova filling can be flavored with cardamom or saffron.

These are super easy to make at home and can be enjoyed as a dessert or a sweet snack.

Ingredients & Substitutions:

Bun – Use a fresh and good quality milk bun or any of your favorite sweet bread rolls. You could also use regular milk bread.

Khoya – It is also known as mawa. Use homemade or store-bought unsweetened khoya. If you are planning to use sweetened khoya, skip milk and sugar.

Milk – Add more or less to adjust the consistency of filling.

Sugar – You could also use brown sugar, jaggery or coconut sugar instead of white sugar.

Serving suggestions:

They can be served along with a cup of tea or coffee. If you want to serve them warm, microwave them before serving.

These can be enjoyed as an afternoon or evening snack.

Storage suggestions:

Store the assembled kova buns in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.

If you want to store them for longer, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 5 days. Whenever, you want to have a bite, reheat the buns in microwave to restore their softness.

Tips & Notes:

Add more sugar or powdered sugar to the mawa mixture if you want more sweetness.

You could also use store-bought palkova or sweetened khoya for the filling.

Make sure the prepared kova filling is thick enough to stay inside the buns. If you feel the consistency of the filling is too thin, cook it again for few more minutes. The filling thickens more as it cools.

Use a good quality milk bun for best taste and texture. I have used 2 bread rolls since they are large. If you are using smaller ones, you may need more. 

You can experiment with different flavors by adding cardamom, saffron, rose, chocolate, nuts or tutti frutti to the kova filling.

Step by step instructions:

Take khoya and milk to a heavy bottomed pan. Keep stirring and cook until it is soft and smooth.

Add sugar and continue cooking for few more minutes or until the mixture thickens a bit.

Remember, it will thicken more as it cools. Once it is done, remove it from the flame and transfer it to a bowl or plate to cool down completely.

Slice a milk bun or sweet bread roll.

Take a generous amount of cooled sweet stuffing.

Spread it over the sliced bread. Spread more or less as per your taste preference.

Cover it with other half of the bun. Cut into pieces if you are using large bread roll.

You might like these recipes:

• Masala Pav
• Bombay Veg Sandwich
• Fruit Falooda
• Mango mastani
• Chocolate modak
• Kova Kajjikayalu
• Gulab Jamun

Palkova Bun recipe video below: