Mathura Ke Pede, milk fudge made with milk solids/khoya and sugar, gluten-free Indian sweet for fastings days and festivals like Janamashtami and Deepawali

Mathura Ke Pede are from the Holy city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh India.

Mathura is popular as the birth place of Lord Krishna. A land of Holy significance for many Hindus. Apart from it's religious significance Mathura is also famous for it's various other delciaces other than Mathura Ke Pede. Like the Dookbiwale Aloo(Rasewale Aloo Tamatar) potatoes in spicy tomato gravy without onions and garlic, served with Kachoris or Pooris(Bedmi Poori). Malai Lassi( sweet yogurt preparation with cream). Whenever you plan to visit the city of Mathura do not forget to gorge on it's delicacies and pack a box of Mathura Ke Pede for your loved ones.

As a kid I remember whenever any family member or family friends visited Mathura they always got a box of Mathura K Pede. Soft melt in mouth Pede are different in the regular peda which are light cream in color. Mathura ke Pede are light brown in color and have strong cardamom flavor. Coated in boora(a kind of powdered sugar used for making Indian Sweets) and decorated with few ilaichi(cardamom) seeds, they flavorful pedas are a class apart.

There is another city in U.P that makes almost the same kind of Peda , not known to many is Gajrola. We have very fond memories of Gajrola ke Pede that one of our dearest Uncle used to bring for us whenever he visited us.He is no more but this sweet memories are always a part of our lives. The mention of Peda always reminds me of him.

The characteristic of Pedas these soft pedas are that these are brown in color and coated with boora or tagar. If you do not have boora you can use castor sugar as I have used in my recipe.

Ingredients for Mathura Ke Pede

Traditionally Mathura Ke Pede are prepared from Khoya or Mawa, milk solids left after cooking for hrs in a thick bottomed Kadhai or Pan. It required continuous stirring or monitoring. Making Mawa at home is a time consuming process, and requires continuous monitoring. You can use store-bought khoya/mawa or can make it at home also.Check how to make Khoya at home.

Tagar/Boora a kind of fine powdered sugar is used as sweetener.If you do't have Tagar then you can use finely powdered sugar or castor sugar as I have used here. The characteristic flavor of Peda comes from the Cardamom powder and seeds on the peda. Do not forget to add it.

Now if you do not have Khoya or have much time to make Khoya at home, here is my easy peasy recipe for making Mathura Ke Pede from milk powder , ghee and fine castor sugar. No worries, if you can't go to store to pick khoya or it is not available at the grocery stores. Pedas made from milk powder or Milk Mawa Mawa (available in Indian Grocery stores in US) can be used to make these melt in mouth pedas.

Let's see how to make Mathura Ke Pede..

Here are both the methods to make pede, from milk powder and from mawa and castor sugar as it is not easily available in other countries. .

Make Pede from Khoya/Mawa

To make Pede from Khoya or Mawa ,cook 1 Cup khoya with 2 tbsp of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan or kadhai till it turns light brown.

Meanwhile in a separate pan, add 1/4 cup of sugar and 2-3 tbsp of water. boil the solution and make sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency.

When Mawa is roasted to light brown in color, transfer it to another dish or plate and keep it to cool.

Mix the hot sugar syrup of one thread consistency in mawa mixture.

Cool the mixture and shape in peda when it is warm. Roll in castor sugar/boora and garnish with cardamom seeds or finely chopped pistachios or almonds.

(Will update the pics shortly as I made, Pedas this time with milk powder). Also, all the steps after the mixing of milk powder with milk are similar to that making pedas from khoya. You can refer to the pics below.

To make Pede from Milk Mawa or Milk Powder and milk

To make pedas with milk powder, I have used evaporated milk that is available here in US. You can use full fat cream milk also if you do not have evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is thickened milk just like condensed milk, but without sugar.

To make Pede, add milk ghee and evaporated milk and mix well. Switch on the flame on low, once ghee melts,boil milk and ghee mixture for 1-2 minutes. If you are not using full fat milk not evaporated milk, boil it for 4-5 minutes, then add add milk powder and cardamom powder to the milk.

This mixture is just like the mawa that we use for making pedas and other sweets.

Start cooking the mixture, till it starts turning light brown.

Meanwhile in a pan add sugar and 2-3 tbsp of water. Make sugar syrup of 1 thread consistency.

Keep on stirring so that mawa doesn't burn.

Add sugar solution of one thread consistency and mix it well. When you are comfortable to touch the khoya mixture, make small tennis ball or lemon sized pedas. Flatten a bit by hand.

Roll in castor sugar and garnish with elaichi or cardamom seeds.

You can also garnish these with finely chopped nuts like almonds and pistachios. I skipped it as the original pedas from Mathura have only cardamom seeds on it.

Do make these pedas on your special occasions for your loved ones. You can also make these on festivals like Ganesh Chathurthi or any occasion for Bhog Prasad along with other offerings.

These pedas can be consumed during fastings days as there is no wheat flour or in fact any kind of flour. These are nut free and not much of sugar is used in it.

Other Indian Sweets that can be made at home for festivals ... Malai Ladoo, Kalakand, Mohanthal , Chawal Ki Kheer , Makhane Ki Panjiri and many more.

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