PASTRIES - PEDAS
Malai Peda
4-1/4 cups milk
½ cup sugar
2 pinches citric acid
4 teaspoons milk
1 level teaspoon cornflour
4 to 5 cardamoms, powdered
a few blanched and chopped almonds
a few blanched and chopped pistachios
Boil the milk in a vessel, stirring throughout until it becomes half in quantity. Add the sugar and boil again for 4 to 5 minutes. Mix the citric acid in 3 teaspoons of water. Add this mixture very gradually to the boiling milk until it curdles slightly. This may require anything from half to the entire quantity of the citric acid mixture. Warm the saffron in a small vessel, add 2 teaspoons of milk and rub in until the saffron dissolves. Add to the boiling milk. Mix the cornflour in 2 teaspoons milk and add to the boiling milk. Go on cooking and stirring till the mixture becomes thick. Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Allow to cool. Shape the mixture into 18 small balls, and offer.
Mathura Pedas
2-1/2 cups khoya (or fine ricotta)
1-1/8 cup powdered sugar
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Large pinch saffron
¼ cup pistachios, chopped
3-5 drops rose essence
Add saffron to lukewarm milk and set aside. Combine sugar with khoya, mix and then cook over medium heat until the mixture is smooth. Add milk in a slow trickle to khoya, stirring continuously and cook till milk is absorbed. Repeat the same process till all the milk is used. Take off the heat, add rose essence, cardamom powder and chopped pistachio. Mix well. Now take a little of the mixture and shape it into a round flat peda. Make same-sized pedas from the remaining mixture. Leave aside to cool thoroughly before offering.
Mava Peda
For the Khoya (mava):
4-1/4 cups full fat milk
For the Mava Peda:
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder
a few saffron strands
2 to 3 slivered pistachios
For the Khoya (mava): Heat the milk in a non-stick pan on a high flame till it comes to boil. Continue to boil and keep on stirring continuously till it becomes semi-solid. Allow it to cool. For the Mava Peda: Mix the khoya and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and cook on a slow flame. Keep on stirring continuously for 5 to 10 minutes till the sugar gets dissolved and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Take out from the fire, put the cardamom powder and saffron and stir properly. Cool completely. Divide the mixture into 8 equal parts and shape into even sized rounds. Decorate with slivered pistachios.
Peda #1
1 cup whole milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter
Cardomam for good flavour
Nuts for garnishing
Keep heavy based pan on the stove with three tablespoons water in it. Add sugar and make it single string consistency syrup. Then simmer the stove. Add butter then stir the liquid till butter melts. Add the milk powder and cardomam, mix well. Take away the pan and keep it aside. After one or two hours the batter will become thicker, make balls and flatten it like small biscuits. Garnish with chopped nuts and offer.
Peda #2
3 cups whole milk
1 cup half and half
4 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ghee
12 Pistachio nuts (sliced)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Boil milk and half & half with few drops of lemon juice to make chenna, then side it aside. Melt the ghee in a pan and add the chenna to it. Add sugar and cardamom powder while stir continuously on a low heat. Beat the mixture well and remove from fire. Allow it to cool. Make equal portions of the mixture, make balls and flatten slightly. Place on a greased tray. Garnish with sliced pistachios and offer.
