During the auspicious festival of Navratri, if you are planning to prepare something sweet alongside halwa and puri for Kanya Pujan, rice pedas can serve as a wonderful option. To make this delicious traditional sweet, you do not need to purchase expensive khoya from the market or use costly dry fruits. With simple ingredients like rice, regular milk, grated coconut, and milk powder easily available in your kitchen, you can prepare delightful pedas right at home. The pleasant aroma of cardamom and saffron further enhances the rich flavor of this dessert.
The method of making rice pedas is quite straightforward, provided you pay close attention to a few important details. It is essential to cook the rice properly and roast the mixture until it reaches the right consistency. This ensures that the pedas can be shaped easily without breaking apart. Let us take a detailed look at the ingredients required and the complete step-by-step recipe for making these rice pedas.
Essential Ingredients for Making Rice Pedas
To successfully prepare this delicious recipe at home, you will need a few basic items that are commonly found in every kitchen pantry. The core ingredients primarily include rice, milk, sugar, milk powder, grated coconut, ghee, cardamom, saffron, and finely chopped pistachios for garnishing. The right balance of all these components gives the pedas their authentic traditional taste and rich texture.
Step-by-Step Method to Prepare Rice Pedas
To begin making this delightful sweet treat, wash the rice thoroughly with clean water and let it soak for some time. After the soaking period, drain out all the excess water and transfer the rice into a pan containing milk for cooking. Cook the rice on a low flame until it becomes completely soft and tender. If you feel that the milk is insufficient and the rice is not fully cooked, you may add a little more milk according to requirement.
Once the rice is fully cooked, allow it to cool down slightly and then mash it thoroughly. Make sure that there are no large grains left in the mixture so that the texture of the pedas remains smooth. Now, heat some pure ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the mashed rice into it. Roast the mixture on a low flame while stirring continuously to prevent the rice paste from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
When to Add Sugar, Cardamom, and Other Ingredients
When the rice mixture in the pan begins to thicken slightly, add sugar and cardamom powder according to your preferred sweetness. As soon as the sugar dissolves completely, mix in the grated coconut and milk powder. Following this, add a pinch of saffron and stir everything well. Continue cooking the mixture on a low flame until it thickens up completely and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
Once the mixture attains the right thick consistency, turn off the heat and let it cool down slightly. When the mixture is cool enough to be handled comfortably with your hands, apply a little ghee to your palms. Now, take small portions of this prepared mixture, roll them into small balls, press them gently with your hands, and shape them into pedas. Finally, garnish the tops with finely chopped pistachios. With this simple process, delicious homemade rice pedas are ready to be served.
Important Points to Remember While Making Rice Pedas
To maintain the perfect shape and texture of the pedas, make sure not to dry out the mixture excessively. If you notice that the mixture is still too soft and the pedas are unable to hold their shape, cook it on a low flame for a few more minutes until it firms up. Additionally, keep stirring the mixture continuously throughout the process to prevent it from burning at the base.
