Milk Peda Recipe - Doodh Peda

Peda is a popular Indian sweet mostly well known as Prasad (religious offering to God which is then distributed to the followers). Traditionally Peda is made out of mava/khoya and there are many variations of Peda available in market today - ranging in different textures, sizes, shapes and even color. But in today's post I am sharing this very simple recipe of Milk Peda using milk powder and condensed milk. 
Milk (Doodh) Peda is made by cooking milk powder, condensed milk and ghee (clarified butter) together to get a soft lumpy dough which is flavored with some saffron and cardamom powder. Its then rolled into balls and flattened to shape and decorated with a dryfruit. That's it. So easy right. 

These pedas turn out nice and chewy in texture due to the condensed milk addition and give a feeling like you are eating a fudge. They tend to harden over time especially when you refrigerate them. Just microwave for 10-15 second to get them to room temp. These make a lovely dessert, Prasad and even a Diwali Sweet. 

Now to the recipe...

Ingredients: (Makes 20-25 Small Pedas)
1 can condensed milk (14 oz - 396gm)
1 and 3/4 cup milk powder
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tbsp milk
pinch of cardamom
pinch of saffron
1/4 cup pistachios (or nuts of choice) for garnishing

Method: 

Chop the pistachios into half. Keep aside. Warm 1 tbsp of milk in microwave and add the saffron and cardamom powder to it. Give a quick stir and let it sit. Now in a cooking vessel add the condensed milk and milk powder. Mix and whisk till smooth. Now add the milk with saffron and cardamom. Mix well till there are no lumps. 

Switch ON the gas and cook this mixture on medium low heat. Stir intermittently. When the mixture starts leaving sides, add ghee (reserving some for rolling the pedas). As the mixture cooks it will thicken. Keep mixing till it turns into a doughy ball. 

You want to get a consistency such that its easy to roll into a ball and retains its shape (test using a small dough ball). Allow the mixture to cool for 5-10 mins or until you can easily handle it. Roughly divide the dough into 20-25 portions. Apply some ghee to your hands and roll into a smooth ball. Press between palms to flatten it a bit and then add a halved pistachio to the center. Allow them to cool completely. They solidify as they cool. Store in airtight container

Notes: 

• While making pedas, make sure not to leave the Gas stove even for a minute. Since you are handling milk products here, it has a tendency to burn quickly. Even a little burn can leave a smell on these pedas which is not pleasant at all. In which case you will have to toss the whole dough. So be careful. 
• Don't overcook the mixture milk and condensed milk mixture as it will harden and you will not be able to roll/shape the pedas. 
• Its easier to roll and shape the peda when they are warm. The mixture tends to harden a bit as it cools making the shaping process difficult. So if you have some additional helping hands that would do the trick. 
• The Peda stay good for upto a week in the refrigerator. 

That's it, chewy and fudgy Milk (Doodh) Pedas are ready. Make them for prasad, dessert or even as a Diwali Sweet. Enjoy!!

Happy Cooking!!
Shweta