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Kesar penda
કેસર પેંડા: soft saffron and cardamom pendas of fresh mawa, the Gujarati box sweet for good news
In Ahmedabad, any good news, from exam results to a new home or a newborn, means a box of kesar penda passed around the office and the street. These are soft, creamy pendas of fresh mawa cooked briefly with sugar and plenty of saffron, so they stay pale gold and fudgy, quite unlike the browned pedas of Mathura or Dharwad. The common mistake is overcooking the mawa once the sugar goes in, which turns the pendas dry and cracked at the edges. Chef's tip: stop cooking as soon as a small piece rolls into a smooth ball between your palms; they firm up as they cool.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the penda
- 14 oz fresh mawa (khoya)grated
- 4 oz powdered sugar
- ½ tsp saffron threadssoaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp gheefor your palms
- ⅔ oz pistachios or charolislivered
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Cook 14 oz fresh mawa (khoya) in a non-stick pan over low heat, stirring, for 6–8 minutes until it softens, turns glossy and a little ghee appears.
8 minStep 2: Take off the heat, add ½ tsp saffron threads with its milk and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes until just warm.
12 minStep 3: Add 4 oz powdered sugar and ½ tsp ground cardamom and knead with your hand into a smooth dough. If it feels too soft, warm it over the lowest heat for 1 minute, stirring.
3 minStep 4: Grease your palms with 1 tsp ghee, roll the dough into 16 smooth balls and flatten each slightly. Press a few ⅔ oz pistachios or charoli into the centre of each with your thumb.
10 minStep 5: Leave to firm for 30 minutes. Keep chilled for up to 5 days.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kesar penda take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of powdered sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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