Mewa Paag Recipe for Janmashtami | How to make Panch Mewa Paag with dry fruits, dry coconut and lotus seeds/phool makhana
About the Recipe
Mewa Paag or Panch Mewa Pag is a specialty sweet made during the auspicious Hindu festival of Janmashtami and is offered as bhog/prasad in temples and homes.
Basically it is a sweet fudge or bar made with different dry fruits and seeds with sugar or jaggery syrup.
Not only for the festival but you can make it for other fasting days or for snacking. It is a very nutritious sweet treat as it has lots of dry fruits including Lotus Seeds and Coconut.
Significance of Janmashtami
Janmashtami festival marks the birth of the Lord Krishna or Kanha as he is lovingly called by his devotees. It is celebrated all over Indian and around the world by Hindus and marked by various celebrations in temples and at home. Each caste and state have their own way of celebrating the auspicious day.
In North India, temples are beautifully decorated and people keep fast for the whole day. AT midnight, the time of birth of Lord Krishna, people break their fast and eat the delicacies made during the day. I have fun memories of Janmashtami festival when I was a kid. Ours was a nuclear family but for certain time we lived with our grandparents and other relatives. On Janmashtami during the day or a day before, my mom, aunts and grandma used to prepare the sweets and other fasting items and at night we all sang devotional songs, visited nearest neighborhood temples and at midnight after the prayers we all had yummy food.
What is Mewa Paag
Out of different fasting food and sweet treats, one was Mewa Paag. It is a sweet fudge made with different dry fruits. Mewa in Hindi is Dry Fruits and Paag is Burfi/Fudge. There are different types of paag that are made depending on the type of dry fruit used.
The common types of Paag made on Janmashtami
- Panch Mewa Paag(made with 5 different types of dry fruits)
- Makhana Paag only with Lotus seeds/Makhana
- Migi Paag with Muskmelon seeds/Kharbooje ke beej
- Nariyal Paag with dry coconut or Giri
Ingredients to make Mewa Paag
Mewa Paag is made with different combination of dry fruits /nuts and seeds.
The most common nuts and seeds used are-
- Makhana /Lotus Seeds
- Almonds,
- Chironji/ Calampang Nuts
- Melon Seeds,
- Poppy Seeds
- Cashew Nuts
- Raisins
Coconut- Use dry coconut in the recipe. I do not prefer fresh or desiccated coconut for this recipe.
Edible Gum is also used in many recipes. But I have skipped it here. Will update another Mewa Paag Recipe with Jaggery, Khoya and Goond soon.
Ghee- To roast the nuts
Sugar syrup is used for binding the coarsely ground nuts. You can use raw sugars like jaggery powder, raw cane sugar.
Cardamom Powder
Makhane ki Panjiri is another version of Mewa Paag, that I make for Janamashtami. I also add edible gum along with various nut. We don't have to set it in the form of fudge.
Makhana is a seed and a super food and is used extensively in Indian cooking. You can make snacks gravies and munches using this seed.
Checkout this recipe collection with Makhana/Lotus Seed or Fox Nut.
Method to make Mewa Paag
- Roast the nuts separately in ghee.
- First take almonds and cashews and lightly roasted in ghee. Take out in a separate dish and keep aside.
- Then add makhana and roast for 3-4 mins, till you can crush it with fingers. Cool completely and then crush otherwise you may burn your finger.
- Roast melon seeds in the same ghee. Melon seeds pop up so be careful while roasting it.
- Add chironji and roast with melon seeds for few seconds.
- Add grated coconut roast till it gives roasted aroma.
- Next add raisins.
- Cool the nuts completely.
- Coarsely crush the roasted nuts separately, you can use your food processor.
- Make sugar syrup of 1 string consistency and then mix the nuts mixture.
- Mix together and set the paag in a greased plate or dish.
- Cut in pieces and store in an air tight container.
Storage
Store Mewa Paag in a dry air tight container. It stays good for couple of weeks. Since it is has cooked sugar in it, which acts as preservative.
Checkout more recipes for Janmashtami which you can make for bhog or prasad
Mathura Ke Pede, Chawal Ki Kheer, Malai Laoo and many more..
For Janmashtami along with sweet treats we also make no onion no garlic curries(like aloo ki subzi, masala arbi fry) , pooris (fried flatbread) and boondi raita.
Do make this special mewa paag on the Janmashtami for bhog/prasad to Kanha.
Share your feedback whenever you make these. I am sure you and your family will love it as much my family loved it.
Recipe Card
Mewa Paag| Panch Mewa Paag Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Makhana / Fox nuts
- 2 tbsp Almonds
- 2 tbsp Cashew nuts
- ¼ Cup Melon Seeds
- ¼-½ Cup Dried Coconut(pieces or grated)
- ½ Cup Ghee
- 1 tbsp Raisins
- 1 tbsp Chironji optional
- ¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
For Sugar Syrup
- 1 Cup Sugar
- ½ Cup Water for Sugar Syrup
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a pan/kadhai.½ Cup Ghee
- Roast almonds, cashew nuts for 1-2 mins. or till it gives a nice roasted aroma.2 tbsp Almonds, 2 tbsp Cashew nuts
- Now add makhana and roast for 2-3 mins.1 Cup Makhana / Fox nuts
- Take out the almonds and cashews, then in the same pan add melon seeds.¼ Cup Melon Seeds
- Roast for a few minutes. Melon seeds pop so you can cover the pan with a lid.
- Take out once it gets light brown.
- Add dried coconut and raisins and sauté for 1-2 min. till it starts to give nutty aroma and gets a light brown color.¼-½ Cup Dried Coconut(pieces or grated), 1 tbsp Raisins
- Take out and keep aside once it is done.
- Once all the nuts and seeds cool down, coarsely crush the nuts. Use mortar pestle or your food processor.
- In the same pan now add sugar, add water.1 Cup Sugar, ½ Cup Water
- Make sugar syrup of 1 string consistency.
- Add cardamom powder¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
- Now add all the coarsely crushed nuts and mix.
- Quickly transfer the mixture to the greased plate and press the nuts and sugar mixture tightly.
- Let it set for 10-15 minutes.
- Then cut in pieces and store in an air tight container.
- Stays good for 4-5 days.
Video
Notes
- To crush nuts- Crush either using mortar pestle or food processor.
- In food processor, coarsely crush makhana first, then add almonds and cashews and finely coconut and melon seeds.(In the method pics, I have used food processor to coarsely grind the nuts and the video shows how to grind in mortar pestle).
- Cook sugar syrup till 1 string consistency only, else it paag will not set properly and will remain crumbled.
- After adding crushed nuts to sugar syrup, immediately mix everything.
- Make sure to immediately transfer the nuts and sugar mix. to greased thali/container and press tightly so that paag sets properly.
- After cutting in pieces do not leave it outside, transfer in air tight container.
Do try Mewa Paag on the auspicious occasion Janmashtami or other festivals for bhog/prasad or make it just like that for snacking if you love sweets.
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