Makkan peda/ Arcot Makkan Peda is the melt in the mouth delicious dry fruit filled dairy based sweet brought to South India by the Nawabs. Very similar to the famous gulab jamun.
Why you should try this recipe?
An easy bite size dessert that is insanely delicious and looks pretty on any party table. The ingredients are not season dependent so you can make this a year round for entertaining and your guests are going to rave about it .
- TASTE: The rich and creamy of dairy with the surprise dry fruit filled inside is simply extra ordinary.
- TEXTURE: It has a silk smooth, delicate and moist texture.
- TIME: Makkan peda can be made year round.
- EASE: This is such a simple recipe to make if you love gulab jamun then this recipe is its twin.
I usually tell people u might like to give it a try but this one is a must try if u have a sweet tooth, u will know the difference between store bought mix gulab jamuns and this instantly. My daughter has requested for makkan peda re-run 100th time now inspite of not liking Indian sweets or any dry fruits so u can imagine how good the taste tester has rated it.Hope u got the gist of what I had to say, enjoy sweets but please don't hit both extremes like us:))
Precious moments :
( Posted on November 4,2015)
I have to say I have not enjoyed a dessert this much in a long long time. By enjoying I mean finishing the lion share of those beautiful brown tender rounds u see below. It was gluttony unplugged. Seriously ! So good that we could not keep our hands of it until the last bit of sugary liquid was gulped down. The man of the house is unfortunately on a no sugar self imposed diet.It was real test of temptation to pass by these shiny brown rounds every time he came to the kitchen.
A clear dome lid is put on the platter and makkan pedas is kept on the counter so it smiles at all passers by :))) Yes, I don't leave such things in fridge these days because we are nearing 0°C outside temp so no worry of spoiling and also away from sight away from mind so my motto is enjoy it fresh not frozen :)))
I was curious to see what would happen, the guy is pretty tough and hardwired never gives up easily so I had the honor of eating the last one. I cut it into half plopped half into my mouth by then something was scalding on the stove I had to attend to before the fire alarm shook the neighborhood by the time I had taken care of that the lastestttt half was missing and someone was struggling to hide a smile. Loll! But on the serious note phew! when will I learn to be persistent like him!
Recipe secrets
- Crumble the koya. If fresh is not available use frozen. Easy to make microwave soya with milk powder recipe on this page.
- The dough does not need too much kneading. Use gentle hands while shaping too do not press too much.
- Nuts should be chopped into small pieces for stuffing
- Make sure to shape the pedal without any cracks as they will burst open in the oil otherwise.
- Make sure to have enough oil to deep fry for even brown color.
- Do not over crowd the pan while frying. The shape and color is very important for the smooth looking texture.
- The temperature of the oil is very important for the pedas to come out right., High heat will burn the peas quickly and low heat will make the peas soggy and crack open and destroy the oil too. Keep an eye and increase or decrease heat as needed.
- Caution : These are very tender and can break easily if not fried with care. The spatula used should not have sharpe edges.
Recipe adapted from Lakshmi Nair's cookery show and Raks Kitchen.
Steps for making Makkan peda :
SERVING AND STORAGE :
Serve : Serve this Makkan peda as an after meal sweet instead of heavy puddings and pies. This Indian sweet meat serves as a portion controlled bite-sized individual sweet treat.
Make ahead : While fresh Makkan peda tastes the best you could make a day in advance and leave it in air tight container on the counter in cold climate. In hotter weather ghee tends to get rancid fast hence refrigeration is recommended.
Storage and left overs :: Store in airtight container in a single layer and refrigerate to preserve freshness. During refrigeration make sure to keep in a spot where it is not too cold as the peda can solidify and harden too much.
Other typical Indian sweet recipes :
Arcot Makkan peda
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Mawa /Khoya- Make mawa with milk powder-recipe below
- 1.5 cups Maida
- 1/4 tsp Cooking soda
- 10 Almond pistachios, cashew -5 to 10 each chopped
- 10 Raisins - 10-15
- Veg oil - for deep frying
- If using below microwaved mawa recipe given below then need not add ghee or else add ghee + vanaspati - 2 tbsp
Sugar syrup
- 2. 5 cups Sugar
- 2. 5 cups Water
Instructions
- Note : How to make mawa/Khoya in microwave in 3 minutesMake mawa by mixing 1 1/2 cups of milk powder + 2 tbsp unsalted butter/ghee + 1-2 tbsp whole milk. Mix this into a crumbled wet consistency( add milk just enough to wet the milk powder)and microwave it for 2 1/2 -3 minutes by mixing it every 30 seconds so it does not rise and spill. Until the dry mawa texture is attained.
- Mix the mawa , maida, cooking soda, (if adding) ghee + vanaspati. Sprinkle 1-2 tsps water and knead it into a dough. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes covered.For making sugar syrup:Meanwhile boil the water for the syrup first *then add sugar (this reduces the cooking time by half )wait for a minute until the sugar dissolves then lower the heat to medium-low and allow it to thicken into a syrupy consistency.(which takes 5-7 minutes).Then keep it on the lowest flame possible until u drop the first set of pedas into it. (If u boil the syrup in full flame it alters the taste of sugar gives slight bitterness)Now u should be ready to fry the peda and drop into the hot syrup (the hot syrup ensures peda soaks and absorbs the sugar)
- For making peda:Take the dough and make lemon sized rounds of equal size then take a round make a depression in the center and fill it with a pinch of chopped nuts and raisins mixture . Close and seal edges and shape it back to smooth rounds slightly flatten the top.Repeat same to fill all the rounds. Keep each one on a plate without touching each other.
- Heat oil then reduce flame to medium heat. (There should be enough oil to submerge the peda completely ) Add 5-6 pedas and fry to golden brown by turning one side to another very gently.Ensure all sides are evenly colored. It will take about 5-7 minutes in right temperature.
- Crush some pistachios and decorate on top.Serve the makkan peda as a dessert for any special occasion.
Notes
- If heat is more : It will fry very fast and the inside will not be cooked
If heat is low then the pedas would begin to crack and break and the filling would come out. If u see them cracking slightly on top increase heat immediately to prevent it. Then lower it again gradually. - When the peda is fried remove it on to a paper towel roll it three or four times on it and immediately transfer into the sugar syrup.Allow the makkan pedas to soak for 2 hours and overnight for best results. (Use a flat bowl for soaking in a single layer as the pedas will expand and break if stacked in a deep dish)
- Caution : These are very tender and can break easily if not fried with care.
Hope you like this recipe and give this a try.
Meena
Leave a Reply