Mathura Ke Pede With Milk Powder and Boora
Mathura ke pede were a childhood favorite, the kind of sweet that could disappear two or three at a time when brought home. This easy version skips the traditional process of reducing milk into mawa or khoya, yet keeps the roasted flavor, grainy texture, and boora coating associated with the sweet.
Made with milk powder, ghee, milk, cardamom, and prepared boora, these pede are well suited for Janmashtami bhog, prasad, festivals, or a homemade sweet craving.
The grainy texture that makes Mathura pede distinct
Traditional Mathura pede are made with milk that is cooked down into mawa or khoya. This recipe takes a quicker route with milk powder, while still building the dark roasted color and slightly grainy finish of the original style. Mathura's khoya peda tradition is known for its soft, grainy character.
The two details that shape these pede are the slow roasting of milk powder and the use of boora or tagar. Boora brings a fine, grainy sweetness that regular sugar cannot give in the same way. It is mixed into the cooled peda mixture, then used again as the outer coating.
Ingredients for milk powder Mathura ke pede
Have the boora ready before beginning the peda mixture. The video uses homemade boora made with Demerara sugar, though regular white sugar also works. The full method is available in this homemade tagar and boora recipe.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Milk powder | 1 cup |
| Ghee | 2 tablespoons, added in stages |
| Milk | ½ cup |
| Boora or tagar | ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons |
| Cardamom powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Extra boora | For coating |
You can add up to ½ cup boora to the peda mixture, depending on how sweet you want the pede.
Roast the milk powder slowly
Add the first portion of ghee to a pan, then add the milk powder. Keep the heat low and stir continuously as the milk powder roasts.
Once the first portion of ghee has mixed through, add the remaining tablespoon of ghee and continue stirring. This step takes patience, because the milk powder can burn if the heat is high.
Wait for the color to turn dark brown
Roasting can take about 10 to 12 minutes. During that time, the mixture changes color and develops the grainy texture needed for Mathura-style pede.
Keep stirring until the milk powder turns dark brown. Don't raise the heat to speed up the process, since the mixture can burn before it roasts evenly.
The dark roasted color and grainy texture come from slow cooking. Keep the heat low throughout this stage.
Add milk and cook the peda mixture
Once the milk powder is dark brown, add the ½ cup milk and mix it in well. The mixture will begin to thicken as it cooks.
Continue stirring over low heat until all the milk dries out and the mixture comes together into one thick lump. It should not be wet or loose at this stage.
Finish with cardamom and cool the mixture
Add 1 teaspoon cardamom powder once the milk has dried and the mixture has formed a lump. Mix it through, switch off the heat, and allow the mixture to cool.
The boora goes into the mixture only after it has cooled. This keeps its grainy texture intact.
Mix in boora before shaping
Set aside some boora on a plate for coating the finished pede. Then add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons boora to the cooled milk powder mixture.
Mix thoroughly so the sugar spreads evenly through the entire mixture. The boora is an important part of both the sweetness and the characteristic texture.
Press the peda into the traditional shape
Take a portion of the mixture in your hand and press it into shape. Mathura pede are not usually perfectly round. Their traditional form is slightly uneven and hand-pressed.
The mixture should press together easily. Continue shaping until all the peda mixture has been used.
Coat each peda in boora
Roll each shaped peda in the reserved boora. The coating gives the pede a grainy outer layer and a light sugary bite when eaten.
Leave the coated pede for a short time so they can dry slightly before serving as Janmashtami bhog, prasad, or a festive sweet.
How the finished Mathura pede look
The finished pede are dark brown from the roasted milk powder, soft and smooth within, and grainy on the outside from the boora. Their uneven hand-pressed shape is part of the traditional look.
For a Janmashtami offering, these pede can be served alongside Kuttu and Dhaniya Panjiri.
A quick Mathura peda with the classic finish
Slow-roasted milk powder gives these Mathura ke pede their deep brown color, while boora gives them the familiar grainy sweetness. Keep the heat low, cook the milk mixture until it forms a lump, and mix in the boora only after cooling.
Finish each peda with a generous boora coating and its naturally uneven, hand-pressed shape.
Mathura Ke Pede With Milk Powder and Boora
Print
Pin
Rate
SaveCook ModeShare RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup milk powder
- 2 tablespoons ghee divided
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons boora or tagar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- Extra boora or tagar for coating
Instructions
Prepare for coating
- Set aside a few tablespoons of boora on a plate.Extra boora or tagar
- You will use this to coat the finished pede.
Roast the milk powder
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan on low heat.2 tablespoons ghee
- Add the milk powder and stir continuously.1 cup milk powder
- Add remaining ghee2 tablespoons ghee
- Once the ghee is mixed in, add the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee.
- Keep stirring on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the milk powder becomes dark brown and grainy.
- Do not increase the heat, or it may burn.
Cook with milk
- Add the milk slowly and mix well.½ cup milk
- Keep cooking and stirring on low heat until all the moisture dries up and the mixture forms one thick lump.
- Add cardamom1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- Mix in the cardamom powder.
- Switch off the heat and transfer the mixture to a plate or bowl.
- Let it cool completely.
Mix in boora
- Once cool, add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons boora or tagar.¼ cup + 2 tablespoons boora or tagar
- Mix well until the sugar is evenly combined.
Shape the pede
- Divide the mixture into small portions.
- Press each portion between your palms to make the traditional slightly uneven Mathura peda shape.
Coat and rest
- Roll each peda in the reserved boora.
- Let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Use low heat throughout the roasting stage. This creates the deep color without burning the milk powder.
- Boora gives these peda their classic grainy texture. Regular powdered sugar can be used, but the texture will be different.
- Add more boora to the mixture if you prefer sweeter pede, up to ½ cup total.
- Store leftover pede in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition will vary based on the amount of boora used and the final number of pede.
Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate the recipe. Share your pics and tag us.
Subscribe to my email list to get the new recipes straight into your mailbox.
Join our Whatsapp Community to get direct recipe links. Join here.
