Slow-cooked khoya shaped into small discs and flavoured with cardamom — the most sacred sweet of Mathura, offered at every Krishna temple.
Ingredients
1 litre full-fat milk — to make khoya
(Or use 2 cups ready-made khoya/mawa)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
A pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
1 tbsp ghee
Pistachios — thinly sliced for garnish
Method
Make khoya: boil 1 litre full-fat milk in a heavy non-stick pan.
Reduce to medium. Cook stirring every 3 to 4 minutes for 35 to 40 minutes until the milk has reduced to a thick, dry, crumbly solid. This is khoya.
To the hot khoya add sugar. Stir continuously on medium-low for 5 to 6 minutes until sugar dissolves completely and the mixture becomes a smooth, soft, pliable mass.
Remove from heat. Add ghee, cardamom powder and saffron milk. Mix well.
Cool until the mixture is just warm enough to handle.
Divide into 24 small portions. Roll each between your palms into a smooth ball.
Gently press between your palms to form a flat disc about 2 cm wide — the classic peda shape.
Place one thinly sliced pistachio on top of each peda.