Name: Kesar Peda / Pedha
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Milk powder/ Milk solids ((I used Nestle brand. Use any white and fine milk powder)); 1/2 tin Sweetened condensed milk (7 oz or 200 gms); 2 tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter; 2 tbsp warm milk; 8-10 Strands Kesar/Saffron strands; Chopped almonds and pistachios for garnish

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Indian Festivals are incomplete without sweets and homemade sweets /desserts is a tradition. These saffron infused pedas are a must to begin any occasion and is considered as a super rich , creamy melt in mouth dessert.

Pedas are specially carved in Mathura, which is made from milk solids like khoya and sugar just like Kalakand or Rasgullas. Flavours are added to it to enhance its colour and taste. Peda is traditionally made by cooking and reducing milk until it thickens and forms paste. Then sweeteners are added along with flavors like cardamom, saffron or any other dry fruits.

This recipe is an extraction of the traditional flavours with the blend of modern trend, The condensed milk. Just like the cashew fudge this recipe is instant peda which does not involve hours of cooking and is ready in under 30 minutes.

This recipe is an instant recipe and calls for a handful of ingredients. Jst any good fine milk powder and sweetened condensed milk with a little bit of ghee and saffron does the job! In a deep pan I roasted milk powder along with ghee for just a few minutes and didn’t let the colour change. Roasting cooks the powder and it dosent stick later while eating. Also it dosent taste raw.

Then I added the sweetened condensed milk and saffron infused milk to make a fine paste of all these ingredients. The more the fine paste the more soft and creamy peda/pedhas.

Other festive recipes on the blog are

Important points while making pedas

Important step is not to roast milk powder in hot ghee, just warm is fine to avoid burning and to roast it just until crisp not turn colour.
Next is after adding the condensed milk do not over cook. Turn the flame on medium high and quickly solidify the mixture.
Then when done transferring the mixture to a cool plate is important too. the more you cook or keeping a hot pan later the more chewy the pedas will turn.
Grease your palms before shaping the pedas to avoid sticking.

Look at the video recipe below for a quick understanding of the process.

What goes in Kesar Peda recipe?

Milk Powder/ Milk solids like khoya (very fine)
Sweetened condensed milk
Saffron and milk
Ghee/clarified butter

Kesar Peda / Pedha

Rasika Dhadiwal @veggie-bites

Kesar Peda is a soft, rich and creamy milk fudge which fits the indian festival lists at the top each time. This fudge is popularly made by reducing milk for hours and then adding sugar and solidifying it. But this recipe is a 3 ingredient 30 minute dessert recipe. It is a must try.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Dessert, Festive

Cuisine Gujarati, Indian, Maharashtrian

Servings 10 pieces

Ingredients

1 cup Milk powder/ Milk solids (I used Nestle brand. Use any white and fine milk powder)
1/2 tin Sweetened condensed milk 7 oz or 200 gms
2 tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter
2 tbsp warm milk
8-10 Strands Kesar/Saffron strands
Chopped almonds and pistachios for garnish

Instructions

In a bowl take 2 tbsp milk and warm it in microwave for 30 seconds.
Add the saffron strands to the milk and mix well. Set the bowl aside.
In a pan (Preferably non stick pan) heat 2 tbsp ghee(clarified butter)
Add 1 cup Milk powder and roast it. Roast on low flame just for 3-4 minutes. Colour remains white only.
Break all the lumps and keep a fine mix.
Now on medium flame add 1/2 tin of sweetened condensed milk and incorporate well.
Stir and break all lumps until you get a fine paste of all 3 ingredients.
Do not stop stirring.
After about 5 -7 minutes add the prepared saffron mix to it.
Now incorporate well and cook and stir for another 7-10 minutes.
Mixture starts leaving the pan.
The mixture starts coming together in a ball and a fine paste cooked ball.
Immediately turn off the flame. Transfer the mixture to another tray or plate and allow it to cool a bit.
When lukewarm , grease both your palms with ghee.
Now take about lemon sized dough between palms and roll squeeze to make a plain round ball.
Either flatten it plain or use a design stamp to give a print over the pedha.
Garnish the pedhas with some chopped almonds and pistachios. You may add some more kesar and silver work too if you like.

Notes

Do not heat the ghee a lot. It may burn the milk powder.
Use sweetened condensed milk only.
Do not over cook on low flame. This may turn the pedhas rubber and sticky.
After done turn off the flame and transfer the dough to a cool surface. Keeping it over heat may harden it more.
Shapes of the pedhas can be any. Stamp or design is optional over it.

Keyword 3 ingredients, Condensed milk, desi mithai, diwali mithai, Easy pedha, instant, kesar pedha

Links to other Indian desserts on the blog are below:

If you like and try this recipe do write reviews in the comment section below.

You can also email me at veggie.bites.2020@gmail.com

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