Makkan Peda Recipe | Arcot Makkan Peda | Malai Kaajaa | Welcome 2017

Sunday, January 01, 2017

Makkan Peda Recipe | Arcot Makkan Peda | Malai Kaajaa | Welcome 2017

Hello All, Wishing you and your family Happy Sparkling New Year 2017. May the new year be the best you have ever had. Yet, another milestone for Happy's Cook, yes!!, we have crossed 20,000+ Likes in Facebook page. I am really excited about this achievement and special thanks to everyone for the support. Do support me in the future and spread the page among your friends to help me reach more heights. To celebrate the special occasion and the new year, I am here with a sweet recipe. I followed the recipe from Rak's Kitchen and it turned out super awesome. This makkan peda is similar to Gulab Jamun with Khoya and stuffed with fruits, Nuts. It is famous in Arcot, a place in Vellore district of Tamilnadu and hence the name. Do check out my similar recipe of Bread Gulab Jamun and other Sweets too. Off to the recipe:

Ingredients:

Khoya (Unsweetened milk solid) - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
Maida/Plain Flour - 1 cup
Curd - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Cooking soda - 1/2 tsp
Oil - to deep fry
For the Stuffing:
Nuts(Badam, Cashew, Pistachios) - 5 each
Raisins - 15
For the Sugar syrup:
Sugar - 1 & 1/2 cups
Water - 1 & 1/2 cups
Saffron - A pinch or Cardamom pods - 2 (Optional)

Method:

1. In a wide mixing bowl, add the flour, crumbled Khoya(at room temperature), ghee, curd and cooking soda. Mix it all together and knead to a smooth dough. If required add few tblsp of water and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 mins. (Keep the bowl covered) Chops the nuts and keep it ready.

2. Divide the dough into equal lemon sized balls. Flatten the balls gently with your palm and place 1/2 tsp stuffing in the middle

3. Gather the sides and close it. Pinch the excess dough and roll it again gently. Flatten it a little to resemble the peda shape.(I missed to flatten it, hence it is like big sized gulab jamun). Mine was a little bigger in size. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry it in a medium flame.

4. Gently turn now and then for even cooking. Remove it from the oil and drain it on the paper towel.

5. Meanwhile, start preparing the sugar syrup by heating the water, sugar and saffron or cardamom. When it reaches the rolling boil, reduce the flame to medium and boil for 3 to 4 mins until the syrup thickens. Switch off the flame. Soak the fried pedas in hot sugar syrup. Let it soak for a minimum of 1 hour before serving. (I was preparing sugar syrup in bulk for some gulab jamuns, I made on the same day, hence the 1st pic in the below image shows more syrup)

Serve the yummy peda either chilled or warm. You can serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream too.

Points to remember:

If you couldn't find the unsweetened khoya, then make it using readymade gulab jamun mix.
Use any nuts and dry fruits of your choice for the filling. Also for a variation, if required you can mix 2 tbsp of crumbled khoya and 1.5 tsp of powdered sugar along with the nuts, fruits mixture for the stuffing. To distinguish the filling, add a drop of yellow food colour to the stuffing.
Seal the pedas properly before frying. The temperature of the oil is very important. It will burn if the temp is high or it will drink more oil if the temp is very low. So, adjust accordingly.
Adjust the sugar syrup as per your need.