Creamy penda are flavoured with saffron for a truly luxurious colour and flavour. They have a slight grainy texture yet completely melt away when eaten. Serve at Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami, Diwali or as prasad. This is an easy penda recipe that is made purely from mawa. Mawa or khoya is basically milk solids that form when milk is simmered and reduced for a long time. The mawa is first roasted until cooked and aromatic, then combined with saffron infused milk or cream. The mixture is cooked until a dough forms, then cooled completely. Caster sugar is then added and the dough is kneaded until smooth. The dough is shaped into penda, ready to be served.
What are Penda
Peda are known as penda in Gujarat, or Pedha or Pera elsewhere in India. Penda is an Indian milk-based dessert or sweet that is made from milk or milk products such as ricotta cheese, milk powder or homemade paneer. It can be described as Indian milk fudge as both have close enough textures. Penda are a popular choice for festivals, weddings, celebrations and other special occasions. My Mum often prepares penda for gifting after we receive good news! Penda can be plain or flavoured and there are many different cooking techniques to make penda. Rajwadi Peda / Doodh Peda (Milk Pedas) – the traditional method of making peda by simmering milk for hours on the stove. You can make Instant Kesar Peda with condensed milk and full cream milk powder. It is a quick recipe in the microwave or stove top for when you’re in a hurry. Ricotta Cheese Peda is an easy recipe for penda made with ricotta cheese and sugar. Kesar Malai Peda are made with paneer for a moreish grainy feel. With these Clotted Cream Peda, you can get creative with ingredients. You can browse through my selection of Indian Milk Sweets for more inspiration.
Kesar Penda with Mawa Ingredients
Crumbled or grated khoya / mawa You can buy mawa in Indian grocery stores in the chilled section or make your own at home: try homemade mawa with milk powder or homemade mawa with ricotta cheese Sugar – I have used caster sugar Cream or use whole milk to make saffron milk Ghee – we use homemade ghee made from unsalted butter (you only need ghee if using store bought mawa whereas homemade mawa is softer and you will not need the ghee) Kesar – use good quality saffron as you need rich colour and flavour Ground cardamom and nutmeg powder Garnish Nuts – almond and pistachio slivers Saffron strands Edible silver leaf – varq
Equipment you will need
Heavy bottom pan Spatula Optional stamps / moulds for design
How to make Penda
Grind the saffron in mortar and pestle.
Stir the ground saffron into warm cream or milk.
Allow the saffron to steep in the cream for about 30 minutes or more.
Heat ghee in a heavy-based kadai, add khoya and roast the mawa on a low heat for a couple of minutes.
Then add the saffron-infused cream, combine well and cook the mixture until most of the moisture has evaporated and a loose mass forms.
Keep stirring the mixture until mixture leaves sides of the pan and forms a mass. It will look like a loose dough.
Switch off the heat, transfer the mixture in to a plate and allow the mixture to cool totally to room temperature. Then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Add in the caster sugar and the cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
Knead the dough using the heel of your palm for about a minute. If it remain too loose place back in the fridge for 10 minutes as the heat from your hands can loosen the mixture.
Form equal size of balls and flatten them slightly or give them a shape of your choice.
Garnish with sliced almonds and pistachio and/or saffron threads. I went with silver leaf.
Pro Tips for Penda
If you are serving penda at a later date or making them for gifting, I recommend keeping the mixture a little loose. It seems like the penda are too soft but they will dry out with time, making them the perfect texture ready for serving. Try not too overmix the mixture as this can head to hard and chewy penda. If the dough is too loose for shaping, place it in the fridge for 10-12 minutes and reshape.
Storage
Keep penda stored in an airtight container away from any strong smells. Penda do not require storage in the refrigerator and will keep at room temperature for around 3-4 days.
You can successfully freeze penda. Simply place in a freezer safe container and keep a piece of parchment in between any layers. Freeze for up to 1 month and allow to thaw at room temperature.
Other Indian Sweets
Mango Kalakand Besan Barfi Sutarfeni Ras Malai As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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