Instant Kesar Peda Recipe

Easy recipe to make soft, fudgy, delicious kesar peda with milk powder, condensed milk, ghee and that too in less than 10 minutes! It turns out absolutely delightful and is perfect for festivals like Diwali, Holi, Navratri etc. Both microwave & stovetop methods are covered in the post.

Penda or Peda is a milk based Indian sweet made with sugar, mawa (milk solids), flavoured with aromatic ingredients like cardamom, saffron or coconut. The traditional method of making it is tedious and time consuming but with this instant recipe you can make these yummy peda quickly at home.

These saffron infused peda can be made in microwave or in a pan on stovetop. I have shared both the methods in the post. Though personally I would prefer microwave method as it is faster but you can pick any cooking medium as per your choice.

Almost all of us start missing homemade sweets during festive season but due to hectic schedule it is almost impossible to spend long hours in kitchen. This instant kesar peda will definitely hit the sweet spot while saving all the time, effort and being a perfect crowd pleaser.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Condensed milk: Use sweetened condensed milk to make peda. I have used Nestle Milkmaid brand here but you can use any of your choice.

Milk Powder: Use full fat milk powder for rich creamy taste in peda. Always check the fat content on the packaging and pick the brand with highest fat content.

Ghee: Also known as clarified butter, it adds wonderful aroma and gives the peda melt-in-mouth texture. Use good quality desi ghee or you can even use unsalted melted butter.

Flavouring: The peda can be flavoured with cardamom (elaichi) or saffron (kesar). I have added both here as I love this flavour combo. Always soak the saffron strands in warm milk before using to release their colour and aroma.

Nuts: Chopped nuts like almonds, cashews or pistachios add crunchy nutty texture to the soft creamy peda. You can use any nuts of your choice.

The only important tip in this recipe is not to overcook the peda mixture at any time while cooking as condensed milk on overcooking become chewy. To get the perfect texture, cook it till the mixture starts coming together into a soft ball. In microwave it takes exact 3 minutes to reach the correct consistency.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• Condensed Milk – 200 g / 7 oz (sweetened)
• Milk Powder – 1 + 1/2 cup (190 g)
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp
• Boora / Tagar / Powdered Sugar – 2 tbsp
• Milk – 1 tbsp
• Saffron strands (Kesar) – 12 to 15
• Pistachios (chopped) – 2 tbsp

Notes:

1. Measuring cup: 1 cup = 250 ml
2. The above quantities yield 13-15 pieces.
3. Saffron is added for flavouring. If you are not using it, then do not add milk also.
4. Both stovetop & microwave method are included below.

Directions:

Stovetop Method:

Step 1:
Add saffron strands to warm milk and mix well while crushing strands with back of a spoon. Rest it for 5 minutes.

Step 2:
Melt ghee in a non-stick pan. Keep the heat to LOW. Add milk powder and mix for 1 min. Add condensed milk, saffron milk and mix well till there are no lumps left.

Step 3:
Cook for just 3-4 min while stirring until the mixture comes together and starts leaving the sides of pan. Turn off the heat and cardamom powder. Mix once again.

Step 4:
Transfer the mixture to a bowl or plate. Spread it so that it can cool quickly. When it is just slightly warm, add 1 tbsp boora and mix with hands. Taste the mixture and add more boora if you like it to be more sweet.

Step 5:
Divide the mixture in 13-15 equal portions. Roll into smooth balls and then press their center with thumb. Garnish with chopped pistachios or saffron strands.

Microwave Method:

Step 1:
Take milk in a small bowl and warm it in microwave. Add saffron strands to it and mix while crushing the strands with back of a spoon. Keep it aside.

Step 2:
In a medium bowl, add ghee, condensed milk and milk powder. Mix well while scraping till the base to make smooth lumpfree mixture.

Step 3:
Heat it in microwave for 1 minute. This is how it will look after 1 minutes (image below). Mix it with a spatula while scraping the bottom and sides.

Step 4:
Microwave it for 1 minute more. Add saffron infused milk and cardamom powder to it and mix once again.

Step 5:
Heat in microwave for 1 minute more (it took total 3 minutes from step 3 to 5). Bring it out and mix with a spatula. It may seem liquidy but keep mixing till it begins to bind together (The mixture continues to cook from the warmth of bowl and residual heat)

Step 6:
Let the mixture cool down for until it is just slightly warm. Add boora and mix well. Apply little bit ghee on your palms.

Step 8:
Gently press the centre of peda with your finger or thumb to make a dent. Garnish it with chopped pistachios. Let the pedas cool down completely at room temperature before serving.

You can store these kesar penda in an airtight box at room temp for 1-2 days or in fridge for upto a week. I would suggest bringing them out of fridge for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Pin for later:

(P.S: The recipe was updated with better images and additional tips on 25th Oct’ 2024.)

If you try this instant peda recipe & share pics on social media, then don’t forget to tag on Facebook, Instagram or use #kuchpakrahahai.

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(6 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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