Arcot Makkan Peda Recipe - How To Make Makkan Peda

Makkan peda is a popular sweet in Arcot, a small town in Vellore district, Tamilnadu.

Arcot makkan peda is similar to khoya gulab jamun but it looks and tastes slightly different. I haven’t tasted the makkan peda from Arcot sweet shops but I had bookmarked its original recipe from an old Tamil magazine. I also watched the making of makkan peda in a sweet shop in Lakshmi Nair’s “Flavors of India” YouTube channel. Usually I make gulab jamun for any special occasion in my family. For a change I tried this makkan peda for the first time for my wedding anniversary celebration last week. It came out so well, soft and doubled in size too.

 I found many makkan peda recipes uisng gulab jamun mix instead of khoya, milk, curd and vanaspati. But I din’t use all these ingredients.  As I wanted to make it from scratch, I used store bought sugarless khoya, maida/ all purpose flour, baking soda and ghee. Just mix everything to make the dough, deep fry and dip in sugar syrup just like gulab jamun. As it looks flat and melts in mouth like butter, this sweet is named as makkan peda. Do try it. You will love it for sure. Ok friends, lets see how to make Arcot makkan peda recipe with step by step pictures.

Makkan Peda Recipe - Arcot makkan peda

How to make Arcot makkan peda recipe with khoya, maida, ghee and baking soda.

Cuisine: Tamil nadu

Category: Sweet

Serves: 15 to 20

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Unsweetened Khoya - 200 gms packet (I used Milky Mist khoya) All purpose flour / Maida - 1 cup Baking soda - 1/4 tsp Sugar – 1/2 tsp (optional, to get dark brown color) Melted ghee- 2.5 tbsp (at room temperature) Water - as needed ( 1 to 2 tbsp) Cooking oil - to deep fry For Sugar Syrup Sugar - 3 cups Water - 3 cups Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Saffron strands - few Cashews, badam, pista, melon seeds, dates, dry grapes - 1/2 cup(Chop finely to stuff the peda)

HOW TO MAKE ARCOT MAKKAN PEDA

1. Chop all the dry fruits and nuts finely. This is the stuffing for makkan peda.
2. Take the khoya at room temperature and crumble it well.
3. Measure and take it in a bowl. Sieve maida, baking soda and add to khoya.
4. Add melted ghee and mix well to make a crumble mixture.
5. Add required water and make a smooth non-sticky dough.
6. Knead gently. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
7. In the mean time, make sugar syrup. Mix sugar and water.
8. Boil for 10 minutes till it becomes sticky in consistency.
9. Take the dough, make a small ball. Press it slightly and stuff with a tsp of nuts.
10. Cover it and make a round shape. Press it to shape like peda.
11. Heat oil to deep fry. Fry the peda in batches. Flip and cook both sides till dark golden brown.
12. Remove and peda and dip in sugar syrup. Leave it overnight for best taste !

MAKKAN PEDA RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Lets make the stuffing for makkan peda. Take all the dry fruits and nuts. Chop finely and set aside. In a wide bowl, take the crumbled or grated khoya. It comes to less than 1 cup. To this sieve 1 cup of maida and baking soda. Add sugar and melted ghee.  Mix everything well without any lumps. It should resemble a crumbly mixture.   Add required water and make a smooth dough without cracks. Knead slightly and rest the dough for 10 minutes by covering the dough with a lid. Seal the cracks and roll the dough if any. In the mean time, make the sugar syrup. In a deep bottomed wide kadai, take sugar and water. Heat and melt it. Boil in medium flame for 10 minutes till it becomes slightly sticky. It resembles like oil with as shine. Switch off the flame. Add few saffron and cardamom powder. Mix well and keep aside. Now take the dough. Pinch into small balls. Take a ball and press it in the middle. Stuff a tsp of chopped nuts and dry fruits. Seal the corners and make a ball without cracks. Flatten it slightly to make peda shape. Arrange all the peda in a plate. Do not let it dry. Keep it covered. Peda should be crack free.   Heat oil to deep fry the peda. Drop a pinch of batter. If it rises to the top slowly, oil temperature is right. Now drop 4 to 5 peda per batch. Cook in medium flame till it becomes dark golden brown in both the sides. Peda will start to float in oil as it cooks. So flip it and cook the other side too. Stay nearby and deep fry it patiently.  Remove in a tissue paper.  Add to sugar syrup immediately and press it well. Makkan peda absorbs the syrup in few hours and becomes soft, almost double in size. You can keep it for 2 hours till over night too. Remove the sugar syrup carefully and serve it !  Enjoy !

Note

Make sure the khoya is smooth without lumps. So its better to grate it or crumble it really well before measuring it. Make sure there are no cracks in the peda before dropping in oil. You can seal it with fingers and press it. Deep fry in oil patiently till it changes to dark golden brown in color. Do not fry in high flame because color of peda changes quickly but it remains uncooked inside.

Try this Arcot special makkan peda sweet at home ! Enjoy !!

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Delhi Carrot Halwa In Pressure Cooker – Gajar Halwa Recipe Without Khoya In Pressure Cooker

Gajar halwa / Carrot halwa using Delhi carrot was in my try list for long time. Recently I bought some fresh Delhi carrots in Reliance. I thought of trying carrot halwa and red carrot pickle with it. To begin with, I tried this easy carrot halwa recipe without khoya and condensed milk in pressure cooker for a surprise guest at home yesterday. I finished the preparation quickly under 20 minutes. It came out really well with a bright red color. We loved it very much. I served the same for Valentine’s day treat as well.

 Friends, do try this yummy carrot halwa using Delhi carrot easily in a pressure cooker. Don’t forget to share your feedback with me.  For variations, you can use Ooty carrot instead of Delhi carrot. Cook the grated carrot in an open kadai, add condensed milk instead of sugar, milk and try it.

Do check out my beetroot halwa recipe in a pressure cooker. 

Check out my other 18 halwa varieties too !

Delhi carrot halwa in a pressure cooker

Carrot halwa with Delhi carrot made eaaily in a pressure cooker.

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Grated carrot - 2 cups (I used 2 Delhi carrot) Sugar - 3/4 cup ( Use 1/2 cup for mild sweetness) Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Boiled milk - 1/2 cup Salt - a pinch Cashew nuts - Few Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsp

HOW TO MAKE CARRTOT HALWA IN PFRESSURE COOKER

1. Wash and peel the outer skin of Delhi carrot. Grate it using a big holed grater.
2. Measure 2 cups from it. In a pressure cooker base, heat 1 tbsp ghee.
3. Saute carrot for 5 minutes to leave the raw smell. Add milk and a pinch of salt.
4. Pressure cook in high flame for 2 to 3 whistles.
5. Open the cooker after the steam is released. Add sugar, cardamom powder and a tsp of ghee.
6. Mix well in medium flame till halwa starts to leave the sides of cooker.
7. Lastly add ghee roasted cashews along with the remaining ghee. Mix well and serve warm with ice cream !

METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

Wash and peel the outer skin of Delhi carrot. Grate it using a big holed grater. Measure 2 cups from it and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker. Saute the grated carrot in medium to high flame till its raw smell leaves completely. It takes 5 to 7 minutes. Carrot changes to pale red in color. Add boiled milk( at room temperature) and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Cover the lid. Put the weight valve. Keep the flame high and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Open the cooker after steam is released. Carrot becomes soft after cooking and some milk will be leftover in the bottom of cooker. Add sugar, cardamom powder and a tsp of ghee to avoid halwa sticking to the bottom of cooker. Mix well. Carrot mixture liquifies after adding sugar. Mix in medium to high flame till the mixture becomes thick and starts to leave the sides of cooker. Do not over cook the carrot, sugar mixture to prevent halwa becoming hard and chewy. Switch off the flame at the right time with some wetness in it. When it cools down, halwa comes to perfect consistency. Roast cashews in the remaining ghee. Add to the halwa. Mix well and serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of sugar as per your taste. You can replace sugar and milk with condensed milk. In that case, cook carrot adding little water. Do not over mix the carrot after adding sugar. Halwa may become chewy and hard after cooling down.

Try this easy, yummy Carrot halwa in a pressure cooker and enjoy ! I served halwa and dry fruits mixture for my guest.

Technorati Tags: carrot halwa,carrot halwa in a pressure cooker,gajar halwa,gajar halwa in pressure cooker,Delhi carrot halwa,carrot halwa with delhi carrots.

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Kavuni Arisi Recipe – Chettinad Kavuni Arisi Sweet Recipe – Black Rice Recipes

 

 Kavuni arisi is a popular sweet recipe in Chettinad region. It is served in all Chettinad wedding feast. Kavuni arisi is prepared with black rice / Karuppu arisi (Oryza Sativa). It can be prepared with red rice/ Sigappu arisi too. Kavuni rice sweet is an easy recipe. Just wash and soak black rice, pressure cook it. Mix with sugar and coconut. Enjoy, its that simple and easy to make. Black rice is also known as purple rice, sticky rice in India. 

Black rice is completely different from brown rice and white rice. Its a popular rice variety in Myanmar, Burma. They call it as Chak-hao. It tastes chewy and slightly hard. Black rice is considered as a super food. The bran hull (outermost layer) of black rice contains one of the highest levels of anthocyanins found in food. It has a deep black color and usually turns deep purple when cooked. Its dark purple color is primarily due to its anthocyanin content, which is higher by weight than that of other colored grains. 

Black rice is also a good source of iron, vitamin E, fiber and antioxidants. It is suitable for preparing dessert, porridge, pongal, idli, dosa and some traditional Chinese black rice cake, bread and noodles. During our recent trip to Karaikudi, people told Chettiars used to bring black rice, burma teakwood and much more by trading all over the world in olden days. 

Nowadays good quality black rice is cultivated in pudukkottai, karaikudi region and is supplied all over Tamil nadu. You can get it online or from any organic millet shops. I bought this black rice, hand pounded rice ( Kaikuthal arisi) and bamboo rice (moongil arisi) from a shop in front of Green park restaurant in Palani road, Kottapatti – Dindigul.

This is the first time I am using black rice. So I went through many websites and watched YouTube videos for cooking this rice perfectly. I also asked Viji akka from Chettinad for Kavuni arisi recipe mainly the rice water ratio and the quantity of sugar, coconut. Based on her traditional family recipe, I tried it twice and made a perfect kavuni arisi sweet. I noticed two things in this recipe. One, black rice is basically hard and wild. So it should be soaked for a minimum of 6 hours to cook well. I soaked overnight, nearly 12 hours. 

Secondly, it takes more water to cook no matter about cooking in an open pot or in a pressure cooker. It takes 1:4 rice water ratio. You should cook till the white part comes out from the red bran. So cooking time varies as per the rice. Old rice takes more water and more time to cook whereas new rice consumes less water. Based on the age of rice, water quantity and cooking time varies. 

Quantity of sugar can be varied as per your taste. Usually it is 1:1 ratio of rice and sugar but I felt its too sweet. So I used 1:3/4 ratio. There is no need to cook the rice after adding sugar and coconut as per Viji akka’s recipe. But I saw many versions with variations in the basic kavuni arisi recipe. However you make it, its a tasty indulgence ! If you are conscious about using sugar, you can always add Karupatti / Palm jaggery or jaggery. Just powder them and add it. 

Ok, lets see how to make Chettinad special Kavuni arisi recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out more Chettinad special recipes !

Kavuni arisi recipe

Chettinad special sweet - Kavuni arisi using black rice, sugar and coconut.

Cuisine: Chettinad

Category: Sweet

Serves: 4

Prep time: 8 Hours

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 8 Hours 20 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Black rice / Kavuni arisi - 1/2 cup Water - 2 to 2.5 cups Sugar - 1/2 cup (I used 1/3 cup) Grated coconut - 1/2 cup Ghee - 1 tbsp Cashew nuts – Few Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)

How to make kavuni arisi - METHOD

Wash the black rice / Kavuni arisi twice or thrice to remove the dust. Soak overnight (12 hours) or minimum 6 hours. Use clean water to soak.  In a pressure cooker base, take 2.5 cups of water. Add the soaked kavuni arisi along with remaining water. Pressure cook in very low flame for 5 to 6 whistles till the rice becomes mushy.  Switch off the flame.  After cooking, you should be see the white part and red bran separately. It is cooked soft but it tastes mildly chewy and hard. Do not panic.  Quantity of water and number of whistles to pressure cook depends on the age of rice. (Old rice takes more water whereas new rice takes just 2.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. Similarly old rice takes more time to cook than new ones). After the steam is released, open the cooker. You will find a layer of water. Just mash the rice with a ladle. Drain the excess water and reserve it. Add sugar, grated coconut and cardamom powder (optional) in fire OFF.  No need to keep the flame on while adding sugar. As soon as you add sugar, it will melt and mixture becomes watery. But it will thicken as it cools down.    If you feel its too thick you can add the cooked, reserved water to adjust the consistency. Suppose if its too watery, you can boil till thick. But the traditional kavuni arisi recipe doesn't call for cooking after adding sugar and coconut.  After mixing the rice, sugar and coconut, check for the taste. Add more sugar if needed. Lastly add cashew nuts roasted in a tbsp of ghee. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy !

Note

Cardamom powder is optional. You can skip it to enjoy the flavor of black rice. Black rice takes more time to cook than white rice and brown rice. So cook in low flame for more whistles. There is no need to cook the rice after adding sugar and coconut. Just mix them and serve immediately.

Try this yummy Chettinad special Kavuni arisi recipe. You will love it !

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Paal Poli Recipe – Milk Poli – Paal Poori Recipe

 Paal poli recipe also known as paal poori ( milk poli) is a traditional south Indian dessert recipe. This sweet is prepared with poori and sweetened milk. Poori can be prepared with maida / all purpose flour or chiroti rava. Similarly sweetened milk can be made by boiling and reducing the milk adding sugar or by adding condensed milk. 

Paal poli is usually served in Tamil brahmins wedding feast. They also make it for festivals like Tamil new year, avani avittam, bhogi and krishna jayanthi. I have tasted this in my friend’s house but she had dipped the maida poori in badam milk. I loved it very much and wanted to try at home. Finally I prepared it for this New year celebration and thought of starting my 2019 recipes with this delicious sweet. 

As this is my first attempt, I followed an authentic recipe from my cookbook collections. Sendhil loved it very much. I liked it too. Though the procedure seems to be lengthy, it can be prepared easily. Just make maida poori and dunk in sweetened, reduced milk. I served it by garnishing with lots of nuts and saffron for enhanced flavor and taste. 

Friends, do try this yummy paal poli recipe for festivals and occasions at home. I am sure your family members would love it. Lets see how to make paal poli recipe with step by step pictures.

Paal poli recipe / Paal poori / Milk poli recipe

Traditional South Indian dessert recipe - Paal poli prepared using maida poori and sweetened milk.

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: 6 

Prep time: 15 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Maida / all purpose flour - 1/2 cup Coarse Rava / Semolina / Sooji - 1/2 tbsp Ghee - 1/2 tsp Salt - a pinch Water - as needed For sweetened milk Milk - 1/2 liter ( 2 cups) Sugar - 1/4 cup Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp Edible camphor - a pinch (optional, I used it) Chopped cashew nuts, badam, chironji - a handful Saffron threads - few

HOW TO MAKE PAAL POLI

1. To make paal poli, take maida, rava, ghee and salt in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Add water gradually and make a smooth, non-sticky, stiff dough.
3. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Cover and keep it aside.
4. In the mean time boil milk. Boil till its reduced slightly.
5. Add sugar, cardamom powder and chopped nuts. Mix well and switch off the flame.
6. After 15 minutes, take the dough. Knead well. Roll thick, small poori by dusting in maida.
7. Heat oil in a kadai. Deep fry poori both the sides. Do not over fry like papad.
8. Remove the poori, drain the oil and add to milk.

PAAL POLI RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

In a wide bowl, take maida, rava, salt and ghee. Mix well to spread ghee in the flour. Add water gradually and make a smooth, non-sticky, tight dough. Knead for few minutes. Cover and rest for 15 minutes to 30 minutes. In the mean time boil milk in a pan. When its quantity is reduced slightly, add sugar, chopped nuts and saffron. Boil till sugar melts and switch off the flame. Add a pinch of powdered edible camphor for nice flavor. Its optional though.   Take the dough and knead for a minute. Make lemon sized balls. Dust it with maida if needed. Roll into thick, small poori. Heat oil to deep fry. Check oil temperature by dropping a pinch of dough. If it rises to the top immediately, its heated. Drop one poori and pat it gently. It will puff up and comes to top. Flip and cook the other side. Remove and drain the oil. You can fold into half moon shape if you wish. Dunk the poori in milk and set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Garnish with more nuts and saffron if you like.  Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of sugar as per your taste. Do not add more rava. It makes the poori hard. Do not over fry the poori. It will become a papad.

Try this yummy, delicious paal poori and enjoy.

Technorati Tags: paal poli,milk poli,paal poori,how to make paal poli,milk poli recipe,paal poli recipe

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18 Halwa Recipes - Indian Halwa Varieties

Here is the collection of 18 different types of halwa recipes / Halwa varieties in my blog. In this list, you can find the links of 18 halwa recipes under one page. Most of them are popular, easy to make, must try Top South Indian and North Indian halwa recipes for Diwali and other festivals. As you all know Halwa (Halva/ Halawa/ Sheera in Hindi) is one of the most popular Indian dessert recipes. The word halwa means sweetness. It is prepared using flour or nuts as the base ingredient. 

In this collection, you can find the Indian halva recipes starting from easy carrot halwa using pressure cooker, suji halwa, beginners special corn flour halwa to the most time consuming Tirunelveli halwa / wheat halwa. Among these halwa varieties, my favorite is badam halwa, easy atta halwa and suji halwa. You too choose your favorite, try and share your feedback. I am yet to try Kerala halwa and some more popular halwa recipes. I will update this list whenever I share them. Lets see the collection of 18 halwa varieties below. Please click on the images to see the particular halwa recipe.

CARROT HALWA WITH KHOYA USING PRESSURE COOKER

This is an easy and quick carrot halwa (Gajar halwa in Hindi) that is prepared using grated carrot, khoya, sugar, ghee and nuts. This recipe is without milk and condensed milk. Please click the image below to know how to make carrot halwa easily using a pressure cooker.

BEETROOT HALWA USING PRESSURE COOKER

Beetroot halwa very similar to carrot halwa in cooking procedure . It is a healthy, yummy, quick halwa recipe. This recipe is without khoya/ mawa. Check how to prepare it.

BADAM HALWA

Badam halwa / Almond halwa like sweet shop style. It is one of the popular halwa recipes in South India. This rich and costly halwa can be made easily at home too. check out the recipe link by clicking the image below.

CORN FLOUR HALWA/ KARACHI HALWA

Bombay Karachi halwa, the most popular halwa recipe in North India. But its a very simple recipe prepared using corn flour, sugar and ghee. According to me this halwa is a beginners recipe. Anyone can make it easily and perfectly by following the steps. Do check it out.

TIRUNELVELI HALWA USING WHEAT FLOUR

This is a simplified version of Tirunelveli halwa using wheat flour. It tastes close to original Tirunelveli halwa. Do give a try.

MOONG DAL HALWA / MOONG DAL SHEERA

This is a popular North Indian style sheera recipe. It tastes so good. I have shared an interesting method to reduce the cooking time of this halwa. Do check out the recipe.

SOOJI HALWA / SUJI KA SHEERA

Suji halwa is a very simple and quick halwa recipe prepared for most of the festivals. This halwa is served along with Poori, Chole for breakfast. Halwa puri chole is one of the most popular breakfast combo in North India and Pakistan.

MILK HALWA / DOODH HALWA/ PAAL HALWA

Milk halwa / Paal halwa in Tamil / Doodh is the first sweet which got me a good name from my relatives. This halwa is very easy to make and tastes very rich. It is different from milk kesari in ratio, method of preparation as well as taste. It tastes similar to paal khova.

KASI HALWA/ ASH GOURD HALWA

Kasi Halwa (Vellai Poosanikai Halwa in Tamil,Ash Gourd Halwa /Winter Melon Halwa in English, Boodida Gummaikaya Halwa in Telugu, Kumbalanga Halwa in Malayalam, Kushmandha halwa, காசி அல்வா /  பூசணிக்காய் அல்வா / Kalyana Poosani Halwa ) is one of the most popular sweet recipes which is served in Brahmin weddings.

ASHOKA HALWA / PASI PARUPPU HALWA

Ashoka halwa is one of the most popular South Indian sweet which is popular in Thiruvaiyaru. Thiruvaiyaru Asoka halwa (Pasi paruppu halwa) made with yellow moong dal, sugar and ghee. This paasi paruppu halwa is completely different from North Indian moong dal halwa.

CARROT HALWA WITHOUT KHOYA USING PRESSURE COOKER

Carrot halwa | Gajar ka halwa is the easiest and delicious sweet recipe that can be made in jiffy.The best thing about this sweet is it takes very less ghee unlike other halwa recipes. It tastes the best when served warm with ice cream.

ATTA HALWA / KADAH PRASAD

Atta halwa also known as Atta ka sheera is one of the most popular sweet/ dessert recipe in North India. This is an Instant halwa made with whole wheat flour( atta in Hindi). This atte ka halwa is served as Kadah prasad ( Karah prashad) to all the visitors of Gurudwara ( A place of worship for Sikhs ) in Punjab.

CHEWY CORN FLOUR HALWA

This chewy Bombay Karachi Halwa also known as Jelly halwa  is prepared using the same ingredients of corn flour halwa but slightly different in procedure. The basic difference between soft halwa and chewy halwa (rubbery halwa) lies in the cooking time. Do click the image to see the recipe with video.

MAIDA HALWA

This is yet again a beginners recipe. It never goes wrong. You can make it soft or chewy as per your taste by changing the cooking time.

BREAD HALWA RECIPE

One of the best ways to use the leftover bread slices. It can be prepared so quickly with just milk, sugar and ghee.

MICROWAVE SOOJI HALWA

Sooji halwa / Rava kesari in Tamil can be easily prepared in a microwave oven too. Check it out.

TIRUNELVELI HALWA

If you are looking forward to try authentic Tirunelveli halwa recipe with whole wheat (samba godhumai), here is the link for you.

CARROT HALWA WITHOUT KHOYA IN KADAI

Traditionally carrot halwa is prepared in a wide kadai by boiling the carrots in milk. I have shared the same here without using khoya or condensed milk.

Technorati Tags: Halwa recipes,halwa varieties,different types of halwa,different types of halwa recipes,Indian halwa recipes,halva recipe,halwa,indian halva,Indian halwa,South indian halwa recipes,North Indian halwa recipes

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