How to Celebrate Teej? With This Ultimate Guide to Making Perfect Doodh Pedas

Pedas are round, textured delights. They can be made of a variety of items, and this recipe calls for khoya or dried milk solids, to make doodh or milk pedas. Pedas are commonly made during festivals like Diwali and bhai dooj and other celebrations or auspicious occasions. They are gifted to loved ones and shared with family and friends. Read on to find out how exactly to make them and what all you need to keep in mind when you are making them, so you can even make a batch and gift those to loved ones. Remember, these doodh pedas are made with khoya, so that ingredient is especially important and must be fresh and soft. So with that in mind, lets get cooking.

Ingredients:

• 200 gms khoya – grated or 1 cup tightly packed grated khoya (mawa or evaporated and dried milk solids)
• ½ cup sugar – 125 grams sugar or add as required
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 4 pistachios or almonds- slivered or thinly sliced

Directions:

Grate the khoya. Transfer it to a pan or kadhai. Add sugar and cardamom powder to the pan while it sits on low heat. Mix thoroughly until the sugar dissolves completely. Then add the milk and mix well until fully combined. Keep stirring or the khoya will stick to the bottom and burn. The sugar will start melting and the mixture will start turning into a liquid-like consistency. The mixture will slowly start bubbling. Keep cooking till the mixture becomes thick and leaves the sides of the pan.

Now pour the entire mixture into a plate or tray. Let it sit so it can cool. Once cooled, take bits of the mixture and roll them into small balls. Press almond or pistachio slices on top of each peda. If at this point the peda falls apart, that means the mixture is not fully mixed. Transfer it back to the pan and heat on medium flame for 5 more minutes or till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Then let it cool, roll into balls, flatten, and press nuts on top.

Set aside at room temperature for a few hours so it can become lukewarm. Then serve cool. You can also place them in a beautiful box and wrap that up and share it with loved ones as a special gift.

Pedas can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. It's best not to try to freeze them since the khoya can go bad and the pedas might end up tasting strange.

Notes, tips and tricks:

If you're not making khoya from scratch but using ready made or store bought khoya, be careful. Make sure it's fresh and not past the expiry date. It should be mildly sweet and milky in taste. If instead it tastes sour or bitter, that means it has gone bad. Do not use such khoya. Be very careful of the quality since this will affect the overall taste of the final dish.

When cooking, use a thick and heavy pan or kadhai. If it's thin or light weight, the mixture will burn while cooking.

You can add creative flavour additions like saffron, cardamom and rosewater.

Keep a sharp eye on the mixture as it cooks. If you overcook it, the pedas will turn out chewy. And if you undercook, they’ll become sticky and you won't be able to shape them since they won't hold. These are signs to know how cooked your mixture is. Proceed accordingly.

Create a design on your pedas after they've been shaped and flattened. You can make lines, spherical spirals, or any other pattern of your choice.

This recipe can easily be halved or doubled as desired.

When creating the gift box full of pedas to give to loved ones, you can decorate the box with satin cloth and top with ribbons and other decorations. Add a loving message on top with a card. Or you can place them in a wicker basket and decorate with bits of glittery cloth. Or, you can even create a bouquet of pedas like you do with cupcakes. Each peda will be placed on a stick and the sticks will be placed at different heights and places.