1. In a pan, bring 1 litre of milk to a boil and add 2 cups of sugar.
2. While simmering on a low flame, allow the sugar to dissolve completely. Keep stirring with a spatula.
3. When the sugar dissolves completely, let the milk simmer on low heat for about 20-25 minutes or until it reduces to half.
4. Keep stirring occasionally to avoid overboiling and spilling of milk.
5. When reduced to half its quantity, add 1 tsp of vanilla essence to enhance the flavor and aroma.
6. At this point, you have to stir constantly until it reaches a thickness as shown in the image.
7. If the milk stays on the spatula for a bit when it comes out, that is the right consistency. See the image to get an idea of the ideal thickness of your condensed milk.
8. Remove it from the flame and whisk it for a while to make it even smoother.
9. Let it cool and you will see clearly how it thickens even more as it reaches room temperature.
10. Store it in an air-tight glass container for up to a week and enjoy the bliss of having your own condensed milk.
11. If your condensed milk seems thicker than it should be after it is cool, add 1-2 tsp of hot milk to it and whisk it again.
12. Drizzle your homemade condensed milk on your toasts, cakes, and desserts to take their taste to the next level.
13. Enjoy the delicious homemade condensed milk you just made and share your feedback if you try it out, do let me know in the comments. Happy cooking!