Parsi Style Saffron Pedas (Pendas)
Parsis love any excuse to celebrate, and one of the cutest and earliest ceremonies we have is the ‘Besna’, where a child who has just started to sit by themselves, sits on some Pedas (or Pendas), which are delicious little Indian sweets. The child is then wished well by the family and everyone has some snacks thereafter. I made these Pedas for my youngest child’s recent Besna Ceremony - they are really easy to make, and oh so yummy! I used sugar cachous/decorations as we have a nut allergy in the family, but pistachios are normally used on top.
Click here to read my blog on the Besna Ceremony.
Makes approx. 28
Preparation Time: 15 minutes / Cooking Time:10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tbl milk
- Generous pinch of good quality saffron
- 1-2 tbls ghee
- 1 x 397g can sweetened condense milk
- 1 ½ cup full cream milk powder
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- Big pinch cinnamon
- Big pinch salt
- 1 tbl rose water
- Approx. 28 salted, shelled pistachios or cachous/sugar decorations
Method
- Put the milk in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for 10 seconds.
- Add the saffron to the milk and stir gently with a spoon. Leave to soak.
- Melt the ghee in a medium sized non stick wok or pot, on medium heat.
- Add the condensed milk and stir with the ghee until combined. Keep stirring until mixture starts to boil.
- Reduce heat to low and add half of the milk powder. Stir well with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add the cardamom, cinnamon, salt and rosewater. Stir well.
- Add the saffron milk and stir well.
- Add the remaining half of the milk powder and stir until smooth. TIP –You will need to fold, chop and flatten the mix well with the spatula to ensure there are no milk powder clumps, and a nice dough has formed.
- Shut the heat and stir for a few more seconds. NOTE – the mixture should not stick to the sides of the wok.
- Remove mixture on to a plate to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until you can handle without burning hands.
- Take tablespoon size clumps of the dough. Roll into a sausage between both palms, fold in half and repeat a couple of times. Then roll into a ball and flatten with your thumb. NOTE – You may like to lightly grease your hands with ghee/oil while rolling as the mixture can start to stick to your palms. Alternatively, you can wash your hands after every 5 or 6 Pedas and continue without extra grease.
- Place a pistachio or sugar decoration into the middle, place on baking paper, and cool in fridge once all Pedas have been rolled. Transfer to a sealed container and consume within two weeks.
Enjoy! GPW