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

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

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

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