milk peda also known as doodh peda made with milk powder

Peda Recipe (2 Ways)

By Swasthi on September 2, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

Peda recipe – 2 Easy ways to make delicious and smooth instant doodh peda under 15 minutes. For a lot of Indians, no festivals and occasions are complete without peda. This Indian fudge is an integral part of most celebrations and makes for a perfect gift. There are many ways to make peda. In this post I share 2 easy ways to make instant doodh peda. The first recipe uses milk powder, ghee and sugar. The second recipe uses mawa and condensed milk.

milk peda also known as doodh peda made with milk powder

Both the recipes turn out simply delicious, rich and come close to the traditional doodh peda that literally melts in your mouth with a great aroma.

About Peda

Peda is a delicious Indian sweet made with full fat milk and sugar. This fudge like sweet is delicately flavored with cardamom powder or saffron. Peda originated in Mathura, a sacred city from the North Indian state Uttar Pradesh.

Mathura is the birth place of Lord Shri Khrishna and pedas are offered as Prasad in The Krishna Janmasthan Temple. These divine morsels are hugely popular across India and are also offered to the deities.

There are many different kinds of peda. The most basic one is known as Doodh peda or simply peda, where Doodh means “milk” in Hindi and the term “Peda” refers to any dough like food that is in a sphere or round shape.

You will also find pedas made with besan and even with nuts. But the traditional age old recipe uses only milk and sugar.

peda recipe made with condensed milk and milk powder

Doodh peda

Doodh peda is made by simmering full fat milk until all of the liquids evaporate and only milk solids are left. These solids are sweetened with sugar and further simmered until a thick dough like substance is left.

This is flavored with cardamom powder or sometimes with saffron known as Kesar. Then portions of this mixture is shaped to sphere or round shape which is known as Doodh peda.

There are many kinds of peda available across India. Here are some you will find in Indian sweets stores:

  • Mathura peda are traditionally made with cow’s milk and Tagar or boora, a kind of sugar. The milk solids also known as khoa or mawa are cooked down until it turns to a light brown color so they turn out to be brown.
  • Dharwad peda is popular across Karnataka and originated in Dharwad, a city in Karnataka. These pedas are dark brown in color and rolled in powdered sugar. To make these, the milk solids are cooked along with the sugar until the sugar caramelizes and the mixture turns aromatic.
  • Palakova is a South Indian version of peda which is white in color. A lot of people make this with water buffalo milk which gives it a richer taste.
  • Kesar peda is flavoured with saffron which gives them a distinct warm flavor.
  • I also have a special Chocolate peda in this post which I make for my kids. It is made with cocoa powder.

My Recipes

Making traditional doodh peda takes several hours with constant arm work as the mixture needs to stirred non-stop to prevent burning. Both the recipes shared in this post are a breeze to make as we use milk powder or store bought khoya. This reduces the cook time drastically and the pedas turn delicious too.

In the first recipe, I made instant mawa using milk powder which just took about 6 mins. Then cooled it and then sweetened and flavored it.

In the second recipe, I used store bought mawa & condensed milk. These peda are much superior in taste and come close to the traditional ones.

If you have store bought mawa and want to make these without condensed milk, then you may simply skip making the instant mawa in recipe 1. I have shared more details in the tips below.

You can flavor these milk peda with kesar, cocoa, rose water, kewra water or just with cardamom powder.

More Diwali Sweets Recipes
Rasgulla
Rasmalai
Gulab jamun
Mysore pak
Puran poli

Recipe 1 with milk powder

How to Make Doodh Peda (Stepwise photos)

Make instant mawa with milk powder

1. Pour ½ tablespoon ghee to a non-stick pan.

heating ghee in a pan

2. Pour ½ cup milk. When the milk becomes warm, add 1 cup milk powder. I used Nestle everyday regular.

adding milk and milk powder

3. Regulate the flame to low and mix both of them well to make a smooth mixture.

milk powder mixture to make milk peda

4. Keep stirring constantly and cook on a medium flame. You will see the mixture begins to turn thicker.

making instant mawa to make doodh peda

5. After 1 to 2 mins, it becomes thicker and sticky. Then add another ½ tablespoon ghee.

adding ghee

6. Keep stirring continuously & cook until it becomes a mass and leaves the pan. While you stir ensure you also collect the mixture stuck to the sides of the pan. Instant mawa is ready.

instant mawa in a pan

Shape peda

7. Transfer this to a mixing bowl and cool down.

cooling mawa to make peda

8. When it is slightly warm, add the ¼ to ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and 4 to 5 tablespoons powdered sugar. [Don’t add sugar when the milk solids are hot or even slightly hot. Sugar will melt and make the entire thing sticky]

adding sugar and cardamom powder

9. Knead the dough to smooth. Taste test and add more sugar if you prefer. Divide to 8 equal portions and roll to balls.

sweetened mawa to make milk peda

10. Flatten and tuck in a sliced pistachio in the center of each peda. (Watch video). Store in an air tight jar. These milk powder pedas stay good at room temperature for 1 day and in the refrigerator for upto a month. They will remain dry and non-sticky if prepared properly.

peda recipe made with milk powder on a black slate

Recipe 1 – Pro Tips

  • To use saffron, crush a pinch of saffron strands and add it once the milk becomes warm. Turn off the stove and let it soak for a while then proceed with the next step.
  • You can also use 1 teaspoon rose water or a few drops of kewra water. Pour it along with the milk.
  • Overcooking the mixture can make the pedas dense & dry. So take off the mixture from the stove in time.
  • If you have store bought mawa and want to follow the recipe 1, then simply heat up the mawa on a low flame for a few minutes. Remove and cool down. Follow the recipe from step 7 in step-by-step instructions.

Recipe 2 – Mawa Peda

1. Defrost mawa/khoya either in microwave or refrigerator or leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes. If you are using frozen khoya. Do not begin to heat up very cold one, sometimes this makes the khoya taste bitter. [Optional: Soak 1 pinch saffron in 2 tablespoons hot milk. I did not use it.]

2. Crumble 200 grams khoya (about 1½ cup) and add it to a pan.

grated mawa in a pan

3. Add ½ tin condensed milk (½ of 400 grams tin). Also add in ½ teaspoon cardamom powder and saffron milk if using.

condensed milk and mawa in a pan

4. Begin to cook on a medium flame. Cook the mixture stirring constantly. It melts and turns gooey.

gooey doodh peda mixture in a pan

5. Next cook till the mixture thickens, while stirring constantly and becomes a mass. Turn off the heat.

cooked mawa and condensed milk

6. After cooling the mixture looks smooth and slightly darker in color. It thickens as well.

cooling milk peda mixture

Making peda

7. Grease your palms, take small portions and roll them to balls. Flatten them and dent in the center. Tuck the chopped pistachios. I had set aside a part of this mixture and added cocoa. Knead well and made some chocolate peda.

making mawa peda

Store them in a air tight jar and refrigerate.

peda recipe made 2 ways

Related Recipes

peda recipe

Recipe card

peda recipe

Peda Recipe

Doodh peda is one of the popular Indian sweets made with milk solids and sugar, a festive delight. This post shares 2 recipes.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings8 pedas
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

Recipe 1

  • 1 tablespoon ghee (divided – ½ + ½ tablespoon)
  • ½ cup milk (or heavy cream, whipping cream)
  • 1 cup milk powder
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (I used ½)
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons powdered sugar (adjust to taste, refer notes)
  • 1 pinch saffron (kesar, optional)

Recipe 2

  • cups crumbled mawa (khoya, khova)(about 180 to 200 grams)
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon ghee
  • ½ tin condensed milk (½ of 392 grams tin or substitute with 6 to 7 tbsps sugar + 2 tbsps milk)
  • 1 tablespoons pistachios (chopped for garnish)
  • 1 pinch saffron strands (soaked in 2 tablespoons milk, optional)


Instructions

Recipe 1 – peda with milk powder

  • Pour ½ tablespoon ghee and ½ cup milk to a non-stick pan.
  • When the milk turns warm, add the milk powder and mix well to make a smooth mixture.
  • Begin to heat on a medium flame and cook until it thickens and becomes sticky.
  • Then add ½ tablespoons ghee. Scrape off the sides with the spatula. Cook stirring continuously until it becomes thick and becomes a mass. (Check video). At this stage it will also leave the the pan.
  • Transfer this to a mixing bowl. Cool down.
  • When it comes down to warm temperature, add powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well to incorporate the sugar. Taste test and add more sugar if needed.
  • Divide the dough to 8 portions and roll them to balls. Flatten and tuck a sliced pistachio.
  • Cool the milk pedas completely and store at room temperature for a day. Or refrigerate for longer shelf life.

Recipe 2 – peda with mawa & condensed milk

  • Bring khoya to room temperature. Crumble or grate it and then measure.
  • Add it to a non-stick pan. Next add condensed milk along with cardamom powder and saffron milk (optional).
  • Mix and begin to cook on a medium flame. The mixture melts and turns gooey.
  • Let it cook till it thickens and becomes a mass. Overcooking can make it dry. Turn off and cool down.
  • The mixture looks smooth on its own, so don’t have to knead it. Grease your palms and make 12 balls. Next flatten them slightly. Tuck the chopped pistachios in the center.
  • Store pedas in a air tight container and refrigerate.


Notes

  • Recipe 1 – To make powdered sugar, add ¼ cup sugar to a grinder and make a fine powder. Adjust the sugar to suit your taste.
  • Recipe 2 – Do not heat up khoya when it is very cold, defrost it in microwave or refrigerator or leave it at room temperature for a while.
  • Recipe 2 – If you want to use full 392 grams tin, use 3 cups crumbled khoya. 
  • To make chocolate peda, I divided the mixture to 2 parts and made 6 plain peda. For the rest of the mixture, add 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons cocoa to a fine sieve. Sieve it directly over half of the cooked mixture and knead well until blended. If needed add more. Divide the mixture to 6 equal sized balls and roll them to smooth balls. slightly flatten.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Peda Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 125 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 66mg3%
Potassium 233mg7%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 174IU3%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 163mg16%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Doodh peda recipe first published in October 2014. Updated and republished in November 2021.

Peda Recipe (2 Ways)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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can you give me how much milk powder and carnation tin I need to make 50 panda thanks ?

I was wondering if I could do roast the knoya before adding the condensed milk? I like the brown color of Mathura Peda but I also wanted to use the condensed milk. Thank you.

Can yo please post previous recipe of pink long peda type sweets topped with pistachios made wih ricotta cheese. Tried once and they were delicious but unable to find post currently. Appeared with your kulfi recipe

5 stars

5 stars
I tried the peda recipe.. It turned out well. Thank you for explaining in a simple way with illustration. My family loved it.

Hi. I tried making this but milk mixture looks split. Like it feels very grainy. Can you please help me out as to why it has become like that

5 stars
I am your hardcore fan. I started using ur receipes in the lockdown and everything I have cooked/made has turned excellent.

Easy to understand, make and super delicious. Perfect taste all the time.

5 stars
Thank you very much. It’s my son’s favorite sweet, will never forget the expression on his face when he tasted them.

5 stars
I tried recipe with milkmaid many times. I make it in Ganpati festival for naivaidya and otherwise also. You also gave measurements if we want to skip milkmaid. Please confirm for 200 gms mava it was 2 tablespoons of milk and 6 to 7 tablespoons of sugar right? I didn’t write the same and now not finding it in recipe.

Thanks. I make these padhas in Ganpati festival and other occassions. Everyone likes it.

5 stars
Don’t you have a YouTube Channel? The recipe is so yum….

How long will this peda last ?

5 stars
Thank you for this easy to follow recipe. The pedas were heavenly and polished off by the entire family 🙂 Happy Diwali to you!

4 stars
Tried making peda,came out very well.thankyou

You are a devotee of Lord Hari and doing very nice work by posting various recipes and sharing your knowledge and experience

5 stars
Hello Swati the peda recipe shared by you turned out awesome. Thank you so much for sharing.

Would be grateful if you could share recipes for Rasam and Molagapudi powders.

Hi mam, can we use milk instead of condensed milk and what’s the measurement of sugar when we use milk

I want to make this recipe. I am using ready blocks of Nanak brand khoa/mawa. Each block is 12 oz/341 grams. How much condensed milk do I use for 2 blocks?

5 stars
I made them. I used 1 can for the 2 blocks, added 1/4 cup half and half soaked with saffron and cardamon powder. They turned out good. I found the sweetness adequate. Thank you.

5 stars
This Doodh Peda recipe is simply awesome. Turned out so good, most of those who tried it cud not believe it was home made. Thanks for sharing!!!

5 stars
All recipes very beautiful
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5 stars
Your peda recipe rocks!!. First time I made this and it turned out very good.

5 stars
mast