Mathura ke Pede

When in India, you don’t need a reason to indulge in sweet treats. While exploring any part of the country, you will be welcomed with an exotic collection of sweets such as Mohanthal, Moong Dal ka halwa, Urad dal ki pinni, and many more.

And you just can’t ignore them even if you wanted to, because Indian sweets are so heavenly addictive!

And there is something special about sweets that belong to specific regions, just like these Mathura Ke Pede. They are irresistibly delicious and an ecstatic indulgence. 

What is Mathura ke Pede

Mathura Ke Pede is a classic sweet treat that hails from the city of Mathura (birthplace of Lord Krishna) in Uttar Pradesh, a northern state of India. Therefore, it gets its name from its city of origin.

‘Peda’ in Hindi means a sweet Indian dessert prepared with Mawa/ Khoya or milk solids. Mathura Ke Pede translates to Mathura’s famous milk-solid sweet treats.

This pede is also known as Mathura ke Dharwad pede!

There are many kinds of peda prepared in India, and almost all of them are similar, having milk solids as their base ingredient. Mathura ka pede is no different when it comes to the base ingredient.

These are also made with Milk solids/ Mawa and flavored with a sweetener and some cardamom powder. Boora sugar is used as the sweetener in this Mathura ke Pede recipe.

Ghee adds a rich texture and a nutty flavor to the pedas, besides helping in roasting the mawa.

Known for taste, texture, and flavor, these Mathura Pedha can be prepared at home following the tips and suggestions mentioned below.

Reasons You’ll ♡ Mathura ke Pede

This super delicious and addictive Mathura Ke Pede dessert recipe is a must-try at home if you are a sweet lover. Here is why it will fancy you the most, as it is  —

• Easy to prepare with a few ingredients
• Smooth and melt-in-mouth textured
• Perfectly sweetened
• Scalable and make-ahead treat

Even though Mathura peda needs some patience and finesse to prepare, they meet all the requisites of being one of the best desserts in the festive season.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Use a heavy-bottomed pan/ kadhai — Roast the mawa/ khoya in a heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai to ensure an even cooking. The khoya may get burnt easily in a thin-bottomed pan, which will spoil the recipe’s taste.

Caramelizing Mawa/ khoya — While roasting the mawa, you may see brown streaks emerging. This is because the mawa is sticking to the bottom of the pan while caramelizing. All you have to do is to lower the heat and remove the pan from the heat immediately. Let it cool for some time, return it to the heat, and continue roasting it on the lowest setting.

Roasting the mawa — Mawa must be roasted with patience as it may get burnt quickly. You must continuously stir the mawa/ khoya at the lowest setting to allow it to roast correctly without burning. It’s a time-consuming process, but undoubtedly, it is worth the effort as roasting increases the taste, texture, and shelf life of the pedas.

Mawa — You can either use homemade mawa or store-bought mawa for this recipe. The choice is entirely yours. Both work very well. However, grate the mawa to get 2 cups of crumbled mawa for this Mathura Peda recipe.

Purifying the sugar syrup — Milk is added to the sugar syrup to remove impurities, which is considered an important step. A scum-like thick form surfaces the sugar syrup when milk is added to it. These are the impurities that are then removed from their surface and discarded.

Using boora sugar — Adding Boora sugar or tagar for this recipe of Mathura Ke Pede brings in the best results.

Attaining the soft ball stage — The sugar syrup must reach the soft ball stage as this confirms if the sugar syrup has cooked well or not. Usually, when the sugar syrup reaches the temperature of 235° F, it achieves the soft ball stage. It forms a soft, squishy ball when it is dropped in cold water, confirming that it is ready to be used. This is a crucial step to ensure a successful Mathura ke Pede recipe, therefore, do not rush through this step.

Addition of ghee — Ghee is added to the sugar syrup to prevent it from forming lumps. So, when you add the ghee, keep it stirring continuously and do not leave it unattended.

Storing Boora sugar — Boora sugar (Demerara sugar) can be conveniently stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2- 3 months.

Adding boora — When the khoya is well-roasted, let it cool for a while before adding boora sugar or tagar; otherwise, the heat of the khoya will melt the boora/ tagar, and binding will not be possible.

Scalable recipe — This delicious recipe of Mathura Ke Pede is scalable and can be doubled or tripled as per your requirement. If you want to serve it at your next get-together or potluck, scale the recipe accordingly and enjoy serving your delicacy to your guests. I bet this recipe will be a huge hit!