Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda

// Kesar Mawa Peda | Indian Milk Fudge | Instant Khoya Peda is a classic melt-in mouth Indian dessert which is usually made during festivals.



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Kesar Mawa Peda | Indian Milk Fudge | Instant Khoya Peda Recipe Video. This is a classic Indian dessert which is usually made during festivals. This rich and buttery melt-in mouth fudge is also served as a ‘prasad’ in temples.

There are different varieties to peda depending upon their flavors.

some yellow kesar pedas on a plate with a cup of tea

Is there any other way to celebrate the coming weekend other than something addictively sweet? I guess there are many ways, but for a sweet-toothed person, nothing can beat the mouth-watering sweet stuff. If you love sweets as much as I do, then you will surely understand me.

a cup of tea and two kesar pedas on a plate

Kesar Mawa Peda aka Indian Milk Fudge is simply the best. I know, I may have said this for many recipes earlier too, but today I just can’t help it. I will just have to say it again because it only takes 15-20 minutes from start to finish and you can gobble this fudge right away then. If you are planning to make it from scratch then it will take around 5 more minutes to make your own mawa in the microwave.

a tray of kesar pedas and a cup of tea on a table

But seriously, how could a fudge which contains thickened milk, cardamom, saffron and some ghee/butter not be the best? It is bound to taste incredibly delicious, and the good thing about this fudge is that just one of these can satisfy all your sweet cravings instantly.

One kesar peda down and your sweet cravings vanish.

My grandfather who lived till age 90, was a sweet-toothed person and he had to eat something sweet after dinner every day. So on some days when he couldn’t find any fancy desserts, he simply ate a piece of jaggery and he used to say that it was so satisfying.

He was never diabetic, and he had all his teeth intact. I can tell you that he happily and healthily lived for 90 years, he was never bedridden.

a plate of yellow kesar peda on a blue table

I also want a healthy and happy life for me and my family, just the kind my grandfather lived. When I looked back, I figured out what he did right was, he never ate any diet food. Yeah, he was never on a diet as long as I remember.

He never gobbled his food, and always, he used to chew a lot. He always enjoyed his food bite by bite. And he remained jolly throughout his life. My grandmother used to make fun of him sometimes that he takes ages in eating food. 😉

a close up of a tray of kesar pedas with pistachios on it

I was never sweet-toothed in my childhood, but now I am. And I crave for sweet stuff many times. After seeing the living proof as my Grandfather, I assume that eating little desserts every day is not a bad idea.

We always have those digestive genes hidden in the body and they are not activated unless needed. So now I am never so hard on myself and little A for eating and craving sweet shiny things. Yeah, she is sweet-toothed too.

She will do anything for you in an exchange of candy, chocolate, muffin or anything sweet. I can’t help but I want to get into the kitchen almost every weekend and bake/cook something sweet and healthy if I have some free time.

So cheers to all sweet-toothed persons.

a bowl of kesar peda that is on a table

Coming back to the recipe, Kesar Mawa Peda is a classic Indian dessert which is usually made during festivals. They are also served as a ‘prasad’ in temples. There are different varieties to peda depending upon their flavors. These melt-in mouth pedas are fuss-free. You only need a pan and a spatula for making these. And you only need these few ingredients for these pedas — mawa, ghee, sugar, cardamom, and saffron. This is a charmingly easy recipe to make.

Traditionally this Indian dessert is made with mawa or khoya. There is another version of peda which is known as doodh peda or milk peda. This Doodh Peda is prepared by using milk or milk powder. I will also share that recipe sometime.

two plates of kesar peda on a blue table

Some important tips:

  1. Add 2 tbsp milk to mawa/khoya if your khoya is too dry, this will ensure that your pedas would come out soft.

  2. Always grease your hand with ghee before shaping the peda, this way the dough won’t stick to your palms.

  3. Try to shape pedas when the dough is little warm, this would help in molding them easily. So don’t let the dough to cool down.

  4. You can store them in an airtight container at 22-25°C for 2 days. But if you want to store them longer then keep in the refrigerator and take them out 30 minutes before serving. They stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

  5. I decorated with pedas with edible silver leaves for drool-worthy aesthetics. This step is completely optional, you can skip it if you want.

  6. You can also add 1 tsp kewra water to it if you want to get an enhanced aromatic flavor. I didn’t want to diffuse the saffron flavor, so I avoided that.

a spoon with a stack of kesar peda on it on a table

If you like this peda recipe, then I would request you to check out these other indian dessert/sweet/mithai recipes:

two kesar pedas are sitting on a spoon

Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda (Step-by-step photo instructions)

Making Kesar Peda:

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a broad non-stick pan over medium heat.
  2. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-1 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  3. Add crumbled mawa and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, while stirring continuously.
  4. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-2 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  5. Add cardamom powder, saffron strands and mix well.
  6. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-3 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  7. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, while stirring continuously.
  8. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-4 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  9. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool down for 2 minutes.
  10. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-5 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  11. Add powdered the sugar and mix very well using a spatula until well combined and forms a dough. (If you are comfortable with heat, then you can also knead the hot mawa mixture till it's smooth and forms a dough.)
  12. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-6 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  13. Divide the dough into 16-18 equal portions and shape them into round balls.
  14. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-7 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  15. Flatten each ball slightly in between your palms.
  16. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-8 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  17. You can also make a design on top using a thread or a knife like I did. (Check out the video recipe below.)
  18. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-9 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  19. Decorate each peda with pistachio and edible silver leaf.
  20. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-10 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda
  21. You can store kesar peda in an air-tight container and refrigerate it. Serve it along with an elaborated Indian meal, or serve as an aftermeal dessert.
  22. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-11 for Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda

Recipe Card


Kesar Mawa Peda - Indian Milk Fudge - Instant Khoya Peda [Recipe]

Recipe Image
Kesar Mawa Peda | Indian Milk Fudge | Instant Khoya Peda is a classic melt-in mouth Indian dessert which is usually made during festivals.
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 79 reviews)

Prep time 🕐 Cook time 🕐 Total time 🕐
15 mins
Category ☶ Cuisine ♨ Serves ☺
Desserts Indian 18
Nutrition Info ⊛ Serving size ⊚
55 calories 1 peda

INGREDIENTS

For Kesar Mawa Peda:(I am using 250 ml cup)
  • 1 tablespoon ghee, plus 2 teaspoon more for greasing palms
  • 1 cup mawa/khoya, crumbled
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar (pisi hui shakkar), or as per taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder
  • 15-16 strands of saffron (ksear), soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

Making Kesar Peda:
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a broad non-stick pan over medium heat.
  2. Add crumbled mawa and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, while stirring continuously.
  3. Add cardamom powder, saffron strands and mix well.
  4. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, while stirring continuously.
  5. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool down for 2 minutes.
  6. Add powdered the sugar and mix very well using a spatula until well combined and forms a dough. (If you are comfortable with heat, then you can also knead the hot mawa mixture till it's smooth and forms a dough.)
  7. Divide the dough into 16-18 equal portions and shape them into round balls.
  8. Flatten each ball slightly in between your palms.
  9. You can also make a design on top using a thread or a knife like I did. (Check out the video recipe below.)
  10. Decorate each peda with pistachio and edible silver leaf.
  11. You can store kesar peda in an air-tight container and refrigerate it. Serve it along with an elaborated Indian meal, or serve as an aftermeal dessert.

WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...


NOTES:

  1. Add 2 tablespoons milk to mawa/khoya if your khoya is too dry, this will ensure that your pedas would come out soft.
  2. Always grease your hand with ghee before shaping the peda, this way the dough won’t stick to your palms.
  3. Try to shape pedas when the dough is a little warm, this would help in molding them easily. So don’t let the dough to cool down completely.
  4. You can store them in an airtight container at 22-25°C for 2 days. But if you want to store them longer then keep in the refrigerator and take them out 30 minutes before serving. They stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  5. I decorated with pedas with edible silver leaves for drool-worthy aesthetics. This step is completely optional, you can skip it if you want.
  6. You can also add 1 teaspoon kewra water to it if you want to get an enhanced aromatic flavor. I didn’t want to diffuse the saffron flavor, so I avoided that.


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