My Signature 15-Minute Fireless Kaju PistaPeda – A Sweet Celebration for Every Festival!
Hello everyone! Chef Meghna here, and oh, do Ihave a treat for you today! We all love indulging insomething sweet during our festival season, right?But let’s be honest – making traditional mithai is somuch of taam-jhaam, and can often be a full daylong affair. Well, let me be the first to tell you:those days are over! I’m beyond excited to presentmy quick and easy 15-Minute Fireless Kaju PistaPeda recipe – a total gem from “Meghna’s FoodMagic” that will make your festive sweet-making abreeze!
Whether you’re celebrating a colorful Holi, a grandGanesh Chaturthi, a vibrant Diwali, or a fun-filledJanmashtami, these pedas are the ultimate sweettreat to have around. Just imagine throwingtogether a batch of delicious, wholesome sweetsfor your family and friends in just 15 minutes – andwithout even turning on the stove! Yes, you heardme right – this is a totally fireless recipe, making itsuper safe, quick, and perfect for getting your kidsinvolved in the fun!
But it’s not just about being speedy, it’s also abouttasty deliciousness. Using cashews andpistachios, we’re packing in healthy fats andprotein, while Mishri (rock sugar) offers a gentlersweetness. And for those who love variety, youcan easily swap out some cashews for almonds tocreate delightful variations! It’s proof that healthyeating can indeed be easy and incredibly delicious.
So, let’s jump into making thesemelt-in-your-mouth pedas together!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup milk powder
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup Mishri powder (adjust to yoursweetness preference)
- 4-6 cardamom pods, crushed into a powder
- 3-5 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup pistachios, ground
- Ghee for your hands
What’s the nutritional value?
Cashews (Kaju): These delicious nuts are a fabulous source ofheart-healthy monounsaturated fats, protein, andkey minerals like magnesium, zinc, and copper.Plus, they help keep you feeling full and energizedfor the day!
Pistachios (Pista): Not only do they add a beautiful green hue anddistinct flavor to the pedas, but they also pack apunch with protein, fiber, and antioxidants! They’regreat for your heart and give you a nice boost ofVitamin B6.
Milk Powder: A great source of concentrated protein and calcium, milk powder is the magic ingredient that helps in binding the peda and is what makes thepeda creamy and oh-so-rich.
Mishri (Rock Sugar): This traditional sweetener is a real treasure! Mishriis known as a healthier substitute for regularsugar, delivering that delicious sweetness withoutall the processing.
Cardamom: Not just a wonderful smelling spice, cardamom isyour stomach’s best friend! It brings wonderful digestive perks, and infuses your desserts withthat signature Indian aroma and flavor.
Your Step-by-Step Guide to 15-Minute Sweet Perfection:
Get ready to impress with minimal effort! Here’show to make these delightful Kaju Pista Pedas,perfect for any festival or just a sweet craving:
1. Gather all your ingredients on a clean counter.Having everything ready makes this 15-minuteprocess even smoother.
2. Batch One: Take half of your 1 cup ofcashews and place them in a blender or foodprocessor. Doing this in 2 batches is importantso as not to release the oils in the cashew nuts
3. Use the pulse mode onyour blender. Pulse inshort bursts (1-2seconds each). This iscrucial to prevent thecashews from releasingtheir oils and turning intoa paste.
4.Continue pulsing untilthe cashews are groundinto a fine, flour-likepowder. 5.Pour the ground cashew powder through afine-mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl.Discard any larger pieces that remain in thestrainer, or re-grind them if significant.
6.Batch Two: Repeatsteps 2-5 with theremaining half of yourcashews to get a full cupof fine cashew powder.
7.To the bowl with both batches of the strainedcashew powder, add 1 cup of milk powder.
8. In a grinder, crush your mishri if it isn’t already in powder form and use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Mishri powder (adjust this based on how sweetyou like your pedas – I recommend startingwith 1/2 cup and adding more if needed). And remember to strain it if you have crushed ityourself.
9.Then the crushed cardamom powder from 4-6 pods.
10.Using a spoon or yourclean hands, thoroughly mix all these dry ingredients together. Ensure there are nolumps of milk powder.
11. Now, start adding the milk, but do this slowly, aTbsp at a time. Begin with 3 Tbsp.
12. Use your hands to mix and gently knead the mixture. The goal is toform a soft, pliable dough.
13. If the dough feels toodry and crumbly, addanother Tsp or half aTbsp of milk. If it’s sticky, don’t worry, we’ll fix that in the next step!
14. If your dough feels sticky, take a tiny amount of ghee (just enough tolightly coat your palms)and gently knead the dough with greased hands. This will help make it smooth and non-sticky. The final dough should have a consistency similar to soft chapati dough.
15. Once you have a perfectly smooth dough,divide it into two roughly equal halves.
16. Take 1/4 cup ofpistachios and grindthem into a fine powder in your blender, similar to how you did thecashews (pulse mode is best!).
17. To one half of theprepared dough, add theground pistachio powderand 1.5 Tsp of milk.
18. Knead this portionthoroughly until thepistachio powder is fully incorporated, and youhave a smooth,uniformly green-tinged pistachio dough.
19. Pinch off a small portion of the pistachiodough. Roll it between your palms to form a small, tight ball. This will be the inner core ofyour peda.
20. Take a slightly larger portion of the plaincashew dough and gently flatten it into a smalldisc in the palm of your hand.
21. Place the small pistachio ball in the center of the flattened cashew dough disc.
22. Carefully bring the edges of the cashew dough up and around the pistachio ball,completely enclosing it.Gently pinch the seams to seal.
23. Roll the now-filled dough between your palms, applying gentle pressure, to form asmooth, perfectly round,and tight sphere (your peda).
24. Continue this process for the remaining dough until all your pedas are formed.
25. Place the finished pedas on a plate and let them rest for about 10 minutes. This helps them firm up slightly.
26. After resting, take a sharp knife and carefullycut each peda in half (orinto quarters, if you prefer).This will reveal the beautifulgreen pistachio layerencased within the creamywhite cashew layer – a truedelight for the eyes!
And just like that, your fireless Prasads are ready in just 15 minutes! Imagine making these fresh for Diwali, as Prashad for Bappa or Kahna ji, or sharingthem during a Holi party. Thissweet, simple, and wholesome recipe is perfect for everyfestival.
With the very first bite of this Kaju Pista Peda, yoursenses will embark on a delightful journey. Theinitial sensation is an incredibly smooth, and fluffy texture that dissolves on your tongue, thanks tothe finely ground cashews and creamy milkpowder. This immediate melt-in-your-mouthexperience is quickly followed by the subtle, yetdistinct, aroma of fresh cardamom, a classic Indianflavor that will inevitably invite some nostalgia. Asit coats your palate, you’ll taste the gentle, naturalsweetness of Mishri, perfectly balanced – notoverly bland and not too sugary, but just the right amount. Then you see the vibrant green core; adelicate, earthy nuttiness from the pistachiosemerges, adding a nuanced depth and a slight,pleasant chew that contrasts beautifully with theinitial creaminess. It’s a harmonious blend ofcreamy, sweet, and nutty, leaving a lingering,sophisticated warmth on your tongue that makesyou reach for another.
Love, M ❤️#ChefMeghna #MeghnasFoodMagic
P.S. While cashews and pistachios are classic, feel free to experiment! Some ground almonds can bean excellent replacement for cashews for a slightly different nutty flavor and texture. The possibilities are endless!
