An easy way to make the traditional Indian sweet, Milk Peda with condensed milk and milk powder. They are soft, fudgy, slightly chewy, and ready to serve in 30 minutes.
Warm 1 tablespoon 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.
Stir in the milk with saffron and cardamom. Mix well till there are no lumps.
Switch ON the heat 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.
Delicious, fudgy milk pedas are ready!!
Allow them to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for a week or two.
Notes
While making pedas, make sure not to leave them unattended even for a minute. Milk products have a tendency to burn quickly. Even a slight burn can leave an unpleasant odor on these pedas. In which case you will have to toss the whole dough. So be careful.
Don't overcook the mixture as it will harden make the shaping process difficult. It will also result in dense and dry pedas.
It's easier to roll and shape the peda when they are warm.
Add a couple of teaspoon of cocoa powder at the end and knead well to make Chocolate Peda.
You can also add few drops of rose essence or Kewra essence to these for more flavor.