Makkan Peda (Arcot Makkan Peda)

Arcot Makkan Peda Recipe – A popular and easy South Indian dessert/sweet made with khoya, flour, cardamom, and nuts. Super soft, rich, and delicious!

What is makkan peda?

Makkan Peda is a delicious South Indian sweet or dessert made with khoya (dried milk solids), flour, nuts and sugar syrup. Makkan peda is a very popular sweet in a small South Indian town called “Arcot”, hence the name “Arcot Makkan Peda”.

The texture of the sweet is so soft and delicate, they are made with a flour+khoya dough, stuffed with nuts and fried in oil and then soaked in cardamom-infused sugar syrup. Makkan pedas are very similar to Indian Khoya Gulab Jamuns.

If you are looking for more Indian sweet recipes then check the below recipes.

• Bread Kaja
• Mango Modak
• Mawa Rava Laddu
• Aval Payasam
• Walnut Halwa
• Paneer Murki
• Peanut Sesame Laddu
• Chocolate Peda
• Kesar Peda

Why we love this recipe

Can be easily made at home with few ingredients!

A perfect make-ahead dessert for parties, festivals, and any occasion.

Can be stored for up to a week.

Can be prepared in 30 – 40 minutes.

Ingredients:

Khoya / Mawa: Khoya is nothing but dried milk solids. You will need to use unsweetened mawa in this recipe. You can use homemade mawa or store-bought ones. You can get it from any Indian store.

Plain Flour: Also known as all-purpose flour or maida. I don’t recommend substitute plain flour with any other flour here.

Ghee: You will need a little bit of ghee to make the dough. You can replace it with oil but do not skip it.

Nuts: You can use any of your favorite nuts to stuff the pedas. They will add the crunch to the dessert.

Baking soda: Do not skip adding baking soda.

Cardamom Powder: Adds a wonderful flavor. Try not to skip it.

Oil for frying: I would recommend using sunflower oil or ghee for frying any Indian sweets.

How long can I store them for?

They stay well for up to 3 days at room temperature. If you want to store them for longer, refrigerate them for up to a week.

Serving suggestions:

Serve them as a dessert.

Perfect to make during festivals such as Diwali, Raksha Bandhan and Holi.

Tips:

Make sure you follow the exact measurements for the best results.

The sugar syrup ratio should be 1:1 always.

Make sure the oil is hot enough to fry them and always fry them over a low flame, otherwise they remain uncooked.

Soak the fried makkan peda in sugar syrup for at least 2 hours.

Do not skip adding baking soda.

If the sugar syrup is cooled down when you fry the makkan pedas, heat it again. The sugar syrup should be hot.

Step by step instructions:

In a mixing bowl, add crumbled khoya, flour, baking soda and ghee and mix everything well.

Sprinkle little water and gently knead to make a soft dough. Do not over knead the dough. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

To make the sugar syrup, combine the sugar and water in a vessel. When it is boiling, add the cardamom powder and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the flame and keep it aside.

Divide the dough into 14-15 equal-sized balls.

Flatten each dough ball a bit and stuff it with chopped nuts

Gather the edges together and seal them well. Flatten it slightly.

Gently drop the stuffed dough pedas in hot oil and deep fry them until dark golden brown color over low flame.

Drain and add them to the hot sugar syrup.

Let them soak for 2 hours.  Serve and enjoy!

How to make Makkan Peda recipe video below: