Doodh Peda

Paala Kowa.

Doodh peda is one of the most famous sweets all over India. Milk is boiled down till most of the moisture is evaporated and all left is a thick yellowish solid substance. It takes around 3 – 4 hours to reduce milk from 4 – 5 cups. During the final stage, sugar is added to the thickened milk and caramelized. Doodh peda or paala kova comes in various shapes, sizes and colors. But the taste depends mainly on milk being used.
Makes: around 7 doodh peda

Ingredients:

Whole Milk (Doodh) 4 Cups
Sugar 1/2 Cup or to taste
Pure Ghee 1/4 tsp

Method of preparation:

Heat a heavy bottomed wide vessel on medium – low heat, add milk and bring to boil.
Keep boiling the milk by stirring frequently to avoid scorching.
Reduce the milk till it reduces to almost 1/6th of original measure.
When milk thickens and starts to come together, stir in sugar.
Once sugar caramelizes, stir well and let the moisture from sugar evaporate (abt. 2 -3 minutes).
At this stage, add optional dry fruits and nuts or coloring.
Remove from heat and cool a bit.
When warm enough make soft balls out of the mixture and flatten them a little.
Apply ghee to the hands to avoid the mixture from sticking. Doodh peda hardens a bit once made to peda.
They are generally eaten the same day or the next day since they loose freshness quite easily.
Refrigerate to increase the shelf life for a week and microwave for around 10 seconds to warm them up.
Notes: Make sure to always keep the bottom from burning.

Suggestions: If the bottom of the pan seems burnt, remove the milk into another pot to boil. If milk is boiled longer than required, doodh peda comes rubbery. If doodh peda is not coming together, put back on stove to thicken it or add a tsp of maida to form peda.
Variations: Evaporated milk can be used to reduce the boiling time to half. Most of the times plain flour or maida is added during the end of process to bind them well. Nuts like pistachios, almonds and cashews are added for crunch. Saffron or other food colors give doodh peda a distinct color. Cardamom powder is also vastly used for taste along with rose essence. Kalakand is another variation of doodh peda made by breaking the thickened milk with camphor.
Other Names: Milk Fudge, Palakova, Milk Peda.

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Badam Phirni

Badam Phirni

Phirni is a Kashmiri milk based sweet pudding generally containing ground rice paste. Milk is thickened a bit and rice paste is cooked along with it to obtain a thick custard sweet. Here, almond paste is also cooked along with rice paste and finally garnished with sliced almonds. Few strands of saffron can also be added for color.
Makes: 3 – 5 Servings

Ingredients:

Almonds 3/4 cup
Whole / Skimmed Milk 3 cups
Rice 2 tbsps
Sugar 3 – 6 tbsps
Pistachios 4
Saffron a pinch of threads

Method of preparation:

Soak saffron threads in few tbsps of milk.
Separately soak almonds and pistachios in warm water for few minutes.
Peel the skin off of almonds and pistachios.
Grind half a cup of peeled almonds into smooth paste adding enough water.
Thinly slice remaining almonds and pistachios for garnish.

Soak rice in water for an hour or more.
Grind soaked rice into somewhat smooth paste adding enough water.

Bring milk to boil in heavy bottomed vessel.
Gradually mix in almond paste, rice flour paste and boil on low flame till the milk thickens.
Once milk absorbs the almond flavor and rice gets cooked, remove from heat.
Stir in sugar and half of saffron milk.
Cool the phirni to room temperature and chill for few hours.
Garnish with sliced pistachios, almonds and saffron milk.
Serve badam phirni chilled.
Notes: Make sure to grind the rice into fine coarse mixture.

Suggestions: If phirni tastes raw before adding sugar, make sure to cook it for some more time and if necessary, add around half a cup of milk.
Variations:Various fruits and nuts can be used as a main flavoring substance. Kathal Phirni (chopped jack fruit in milk), Peach Phirni, Mango Phirni, etc… Use jaggery or honey instead of sugar for a variation.
Other Names: Almond Phirnee, Badam Pista Phirni, Kesar Badam Phirni.

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