Easy Kesar Pedas are one of the easiest Indian sweets to make at home during the festive season. The saffron brings in a lot of flavor and the pistachios add some crunch. Make extras because these will disappear from the table really quickly!
If you've grown up in India, I'm sure you have memories of grabbing a handful of pedas as soon as they came home, and then fighting with your siblings for more. Because these bite sized Indian sweets, made with milk solids deserve to be fought over! Sometimes they came sweetened with jaggery, other times flavored with saffron and cardamom and those were my favorites - still are! This Diwali, I wanted an Indian sweet that I could easily attempt at home and there was nothing better than these Easy Kesar Pedas. They literally took me a half hour from start to finish!
Of course these days I don't stuff a handful in my mouth. Because ummm CONTROL Richa! But I still can't resist popping in one or two. Because they are super soft, and pretty much melt in your mouth. I love the bright yellow color that the saffron gives them and topped with Pistachios, there's an added crunch to these little beauties.
These days I've also been loading up on Green Tea, because the festive season means eating a ton of unhealthy food and the tea just helps balance it all out. But there is so much choice, enough to make your head spin, even when you are choosing a pack of Green Tea. I've pretty much tried all the brands in the market, because I'm a tea hoarder (not showing you my kitchen cabinet), and Tetley is hands down my favorite! I love the variety of flavours they have, and it's so tough choosing one. So one day I bought all of them! Took me a few weeks to get through 60 odd tea bags, but the verdict - their Lemon and Honey Green Tea is my favorite! It's slightly tangy, and mostly sweet and topped with another dash of honey, it's perfect for slightly nippy mornings, or to be sipped along with your over the top, high calorie festival desserts! I'm not saying it's going to negate the fat completely, but Tetley green tea has 5 times more antioxidants, which cleanses you from within, keeps you rejuvenated, promotes overall wellness and helps you manage your weight.
While these handmade pedas aren't perfect looking, they taste just like from my favorite halwai down the road. Added to that, the pride of having made these myself, I can't stop looking at them!
If you can't resist making these, but are still a little concerned about your weight, also read my 5 Tips to Eat Healthy this Festive Season!
Traditionally pedas would take a lot of time because of the khoya which would be made from scratch at homes. But I recommend, buying ready made khoya from a reputed dairy or sweet shop which will save you a lot of time. Feel free to add more pistachios or other nuts to the pedas if you like.
This post has been made possible by Tetley Tea
More Indian Sweets You Must Try:
Easy Kesar Pedas
Ingredients
- 300 grams Khoya
- 4 tablespoons Sugar
- 15 Strands kesar or saffron
- 2 tablespoons Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powdered
- 1 tablespoon Pista sliced
- ½ teaspoon Ghee optional
Instructions
- To begin making the Kesar Peda Recipe, gently warm the milk without boiling it and soak the saffron in it. Keep this aside for 10 minutes.
- In a pan or kadai, add crumbled khoya and sugar. Cook this on a low heat for 4-5 minutes stirring continuously until the sugar is completely dissolved. The khoya will first liquify and then thicken again. Be careful not to burn the khoya.
- Once the khoya has thickened, add saffron milk and powdered cardamom to it. Cook for a few more minutes till the khoya thickens up considerably and resembles a sticky dough like consistency.
- At this stage, turn off the heat and allow the peda mixture to cool.
- Once the mixture is cool enough to touch, knead it lightly to get rid of any lumps so you have a smooth mixture. You can add a little ghee at this stage to give it a good shine.
- Roll the kesar peda mixture into a log and cut 12 equal pieces.
- Roll each of peda portions into small balls, make a small dent in the center and add the pista slices. Once shaped the Kesar Peda is ready to be served.
- Refrigerate the Kesar Peda later or serve them immediately.
Veronika Singh says
Tried this today and it came out extremely well and very tasty..u inspire me to cook more.. thank u so much
Raksha says
These look delicious! Can I make them using milk powder? If so, what adjustments do I need to make to the process?
Richa says
Thanks Raksha! I've never tried them with milk powder