Ricotta Cheese Peda is creamy, rich, and delicious. Peda is one of the most popular Indian sweets. However, it is fudgy, sweet, and melts in the mouth. This recipe is all about making Kesar Peda with Ricotta Cheese. It is one of the easy and quick Peda recipes. Moreover, I have added saffron and cardamom for the warm and pleasant flavors.
About Ricotta Cheese Peda
Peda or Kesar Peda is a traditional sweet and originates from the town of Mathura, located in the modern state of North India. In India, you can find Peda on a variety of occasions. From a child’s birth to the wedding ceremony, the celebration is incomplete without feeding Peda to each other.
However, this sweet is famous for its purity and is often used as a Prasad, a vegetarian food religiously offered to God. And the tradition of making Peda as Prasad is carried out in hundreds of temples around the world.
The traditional way to make Peda is by cooking down the milk until it becomes a thick and creamy mixture. I have already posted the recipe of Milk Peda with a traditional method.
And this time, I have brought a relatively quick and easy recipe to make Peda at home. This recipe is about making Peda using ricotta cheese and milk powder. Also, I have used Homemade Ricotta Cheese to make this creamy and delicious Kesar Peda. They have warm and pleasant flavors of saffron and cardamom, and these Pedas are absolutely melt-in-the-mouth.
The recipe is straightforward and quick. It requires only a few ingredients.
Why Ricotta Cheese?
Ricotta Cheese is soft, moist, and slightly on a sweeter side. So using ricotta cheese means we will have a tender and melt in the mouth Peda.
It is also an excellent alternative to Mawa or Khoya. So if you do not have Mawa, it is easy to use ricotta cheese. If you want to make ricotta cheese at home, it is easier and quicker than making homemade Mawa or Khoya.
Ricotta Cheese is very creamy, and it makes Peda creamy and rich. So this cheese is good to make Malai Peda at home.
Ingredients
- Ricotta Cheese: I have used homemade ricotta cheese, but you can also use store-bought ricotta cheese. You can check my post for making Homemade Ricotta Cheese.
- Milk Powder: Since the ricotta cheese is creamy and rich, I have used low-fat milk powder. But you can also use full-fat milk powder if you prefer.
- Ghee: It makes the Peda mixture smooth and shiny. Instead of ghee, you can also use unsalted butter.
- Sugar: I have added 10tbsp of sugar for the moderately sweet Peda. But if you prefer more sweetness, add ¾ cup of sugar. Also, initially, you can add 10 tablespoon of sugar; once sugar is well mixed, taste and add more sugar if needed.
- Milk + Saffron: Saffron adds warm flavor and color to the Peda. Soak the saffron strands in warm milk. But if you want to keep your Peda white and plain, skip adding saffron-soaked milk.
- Cardamom Powder: Cardamom powder provides an excellent flavor to Indian sweets. However, you can skip it if you do not want any flavor to your Pedas.
Step by Step Directions
Preparation
- In a small bowl, soak the saffron strands in two tbsps of warm milk.
- Set it aside.
Cooking Ricotta Cheese
- Take ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, preferably a non-stick pan.
- Instead of ghee, you can also use unsalted butter.
- Heat ghee on medium-low heat.
- Add ricotta cheese.
- I have used homemade ricotta cheese. So if you are using a store-bought cheese, the texture could be a little different.
- Mix well to combine, and cook the mixture on low heat.
- Stir the mixture frequently to prevent the ricotta cheese from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Soon, ricotta cheese will release moisture, and the mixture will become thinner and very moist.
- Continue cooking and stirring until most of the moisture is evaporated from the ricotta cheese.
- At this point, the cheese will become like a thick and creamy dough ball.
- It will take about 8-10 minutes. If using store-bought ricotta cheese, it may take longer.
Making Ricotta Cheese Peda Mixture
- Now add sugar, milk powder, and saffron-soaked milk.
- Mix well to combine, and continue cooking.
- Make sure to stir the mixture more frequently.
- Once everything is well combined, taste the mixture and add more sugar if you need to.
- Continue cooking until the mixture becomes thick and like a big mass. It will take about 8-10 minutes.
- To check the right consistency of the mixture, take a small portion and make a ball.
- If it is smooth, forms a ball, and does not stick to your palm, it is done.
- If it sticks to your palm and does not form a ball, continue to cook it further.
- Once you get the right consistency of the mixture, add cardamom powder.
- Mix well and turn off the heat.
Rolling The Peda
- Transfer the Peda mixture onto the plate and spread.
- Do not let it cool completely. When it’s still warm but cool enough to handle, scoop it with a spoon and roll it into a ball.
- Shape and decorate the Peda as you desire.
- For the smooth edges, grease your palm with ghee and then roll the mixture into Peda.
- If there are some cracks on the sides of the Peda, that is perfectly fine. Ricotta Cheese Peda will still be tender and melt in the mouth.
- You can use a candy mold, a cookie shape disc, or simply a fork to decorate Milk Peda.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
- Peda is a popular Indian sweet, and we can serve it for any festival or celebration. We can make it for Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, and many other festivals.
- Make Peda for a family celebration or make it for Prasad to offer to God on auspicious occasions.
- We can keep Peda in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature. But if you live in hot weather, do not keep Peda at room temperature, but refrigerate them.
- Place the container in the fridge and take it out a little ahead of time before serving. Peda will stay in the refrigerator for 8-10 days.
Variations
- For white Peda, leave out the saffron strands.
- If you want plain Peda without any flavor, do not add cardamom powder.
- For nuts in your Peda, add chopped nuts of choice at the end of cooking.
Helpful Tips
- I have made the Peda with Homemade Ricotta Cheese. But the store-bought ricotta cheese is perfectly fine. If you use store-bought ricotta cheese, the cooking time may vary slightly than mentioned in the recipe.
- Use heavy-bottomed and a non-stick pan if possible. Also, make sure to stir the mixture often to prevent ricotta cheese from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Do not overcook the mixture; otherwise, it will become dry, and there will be difficulty rolling the Peda.
- While making a ball from the Peda mixture, grease your palm with ghee to make Peda smooth and easy rolling.
- To decorate the Milk Peda, use candy molds or a cookie shape disc. I have used cookie shape disc by pressing it lightly on the Peda.
More Indian Sweets
You May Like More Sweet Recipes
- Gajar Halwa / Carrot Halwa / Indian Carrot Pudding
- Badam Rava Burfi / Badam Suji Burfi / Almond Semolina Fudge
- Carrot Burfi (Carrot Fudge) / Gajar Burfi
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Recipe Card
Ricotta Cheese Peda / Kesar Peda with Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
- 400g ricotta cheese
- 1 cup milk powder
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 10 tablespoon sugar or to taste
- 2 tablespoon milk
- Few saffron strands
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
Preparation
- In a small bowl, soak the saffron strands in two tbsps of warm milk. Set it aside.
Cooking Ricotta Cheese
- Take ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, preferably a non-stick pan, and heat ghee on medium-low heat.
- Add ricotta cheese. I have used homemade ricotta cheese, but you can use the store-bought ricotta cheese.
- Mix well to combine, and cook the mixture on low heat. Stir the mixture frequently to prevent the ricotta cheese from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Soon, ricotta cheese will release moisture, and the mixture will become thinner and very moist.
- Continue cooking and stirring until most of the moisture is evaporated from the ricotta cheese. At this point, the cheese will become like a thick and creamy dough ball.
- It will take about 8-10 minutes. If using store-bought ricotta cheese, it may take longer.
Making Ricotta Cheese Peda Mixture
- Now add sugar, milk powder, and saffron-soaked milk.
- Mix well to combine, and continue cooking.
- Make sure to stir the mixture more frequently.
- Once everything is well combined, taste the mixture and add more sugar if you need to.
- Continue cooking until the mixture becomes thick and like a big mass. It will take about 8-10 minutes.
- To check the right consistency of the mixture, take a small portion and make a ball.
- If it is smooth, forms a ball, and does not stick to your palm, it is done.
- If it sticks to your palm and does not form a ball, continue to cook it further.
- Once you get the right consistency of the mixture, add cardamom powder.
- Mix well and turn off the heat.
Rolling The Peda
- Transfer the Peda mixture onto the plate and spread.
- Do not let it cool completely. When it’s still warm but cool enough to handle, scoop it with a spoon and roll it into a ball.
- Shape and decorate the Peda as you desire.
- For the smooth edges, grease your palm with ghee and then roll the mixture into Peda.
- If there are some cracks on the sides of the Peda, that is perfectly fine. Ricotta Cheese Peda will still be tender and melt in the mouth.
- You can use a candy mold, a cookie shape disc, or simply a fork to decorate Milk Peda.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
- Milk Peda is a popular Indian sweet, and we can serve it for any festival or celebration. We can make it for Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, and many other festivals.
- Make Peda for a family celebration or make it for Prasad to offer to God on auspicious occasions.
- We can keep Peda in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature. But if you live in hot weather, do not keep Peda at room temperature, but refrigerate them.
- Place the container in the fridge and take it out a little ahead of time before serving. Peda will stay in the refrigerator for 8-10 days.
Variations
- For white Peda, leave out the saffron strands.
- If you want plain Peda without any flavor, do not add cardamom powder.
- For nuts in your Peda, add chopped nuts of choice at the end of cooking.
Notes
- I have made the Peda with Homemade Ricotta Cheese. But the store-bought ricotta cheese is perfectly fine. If you use store-bought ricotta cheese, the cooking time may vary slightly than mentioned in the recipe.
- Use heavy-bottomed and a non-stick pan or pot if possible. Also, make sure to stir the mixture often to prevent ricotta cheese from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Instead of ghee, you can also use unsalted butter.
- Do not overcook the mixture; otherwise, it will become dry, and there will be difficulty rolling the Peda.
- While making a ball from the Peda mixture, grease your palm with ghee to make Peda smooth and easy rolling.
- To decorate the Milk Peda, use candy molds or a cookie shape disc. I have used cookie shape disc by pressing it lightly on the Peda.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think.