KESAR PEDA

KESAR PEDA

This guest post for a popular Indian sweet called Kesar Peda is from my friend, Sarita Bhat. Kesar is the Hindi word for saffron. While you can add artificial colouring to make the colour of the pedas more saffron, here she has added pure saffron milk which is far more healthy.

Thanks, Sarita, for your recipe and attractive picture.

Ingredients:

• Ghee, 2 tbsp
• Sweetened Condensed Milk, 200 gms
• Milk Powder, 200 gms
• Cardamom Powder, 1/2 tsp, ( Cardamom crushed with sugar)
• Kesar Milk, a few strands of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp of milk
• Kesar or any dried fruit of your choice, for garnish

Method:

In a thick-bottomed kadhai, heat the ghee on medium flame.
Once it melts, add the condensed milk 

Keep stirring it for one minute or so

When the ghee and the condensed milk are fully mixed, add the milk powder

Keep stirring continuously on low-medium flame, taking care to see that no lumps are formed and that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the kadhai

Next add the cardamom powder and mix well

Keep stirring till you get a smooth dough-like mixture

Add the kesar milk and mix well

Keep stirring till the mixture gets a saffron colour evenly 

The consistency of the mixture should be such that it does not stick to the bottom of the kadhai

Switch off the gas and transfer the peda mixture to a plate

Once it is cool enough to handle, grease your fingers and palms with a little ghee and take small parts of the mixture and form the pedas with a smooth finish 

The pedas can be of the desired size
Alternatively, you can form the pedas using an appropriate mould

Slightly flatten the top of the pedas with your finger and garnish them with kesar or any dried fruit of your choice