Kesar Peda (Milk Balls)

Kesar peda

Kesar peda is a classic Indian sweet treat that used to be specially made for the holidays. Today it is readily available in Indian bakeries, owing to its popularity. Similar to burfi/barfi, kesar peda is a rich, milk-based confection flavored with traditional spices like cardamom and saffron and topped with pistachios. Recipe Servings: Serves 4

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Total Time

1 hour

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Kosher

Halal

Ingredients

2 cups (240 g) milk powder
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/4 tsp (1.5 ml) cardamom
3 threads saffron
1 Tbsp (15 ml) warm milk
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chopped pistachios

Directions

Soak saffron in warm milk.
Combine milk powder and cream in a saucepan and place over medium heat.
Stir well. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture becomes a smooth paste, about 20 minutes.
Add saffron and cardamom. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes until it forms a soft dough.
Cool to lukewarm, then add sugar (adding it while hot softens the mixture too much). If dough dries out, add more warm cream.
Shape dough into golf ball-sized rounds.
Make a dent in the middle and sprinkle on pistachios.