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| Alternative names | Pedha, pera |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert,prasāda,sweet |
| Place of origin | Indian subcontinent (Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Region or state | Indian subcontinent,Mauritius,Fiji, southern and easternAfrica, theCaribbean, theMalay Peninsula |
| Main ingredients | Khoya,sugar |
Peda,pedha (pronounced[ˈpeːɽa]) orpera is an Indian sweet that originated in the city ofMathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. Traditionally prepared as thick, semi-soft round balls, its main ingredients arekhoa, sugar and traditional flavourings includingcardamom seeds. It is brown in colour. Variant spellings and names for the dessert includepedha,penda (inGujarati) andpera.
The wordpda is derived from theSanskrit wordPiṇḍa orPiṇḍaka[1] which refers to a lump of food and also a milk & flour-based sweet in the form of a lump.Piṇḍaka as a sweet finds mention inAyurvedic &Pākaśāstra texts ranging fromCharaka Samhita of the 4th century BCE toBhojanakutūhala of 17th century CE.Charaka Samhita enlistspiṇḍaka along with flour-based Indian sweets and describes them as heavy.[2]Bhojanakutūhala describes the preparation of the sweet using milk and sugar with the use of spices like cardamom, cloves and pepper.[3]
The sweetDoodh peda is mentioned in Sanskrit literature by different names likeDugdhaPiṇḍaka andKśīravațikă. For example, Ayurveda Mahodadhi by Acharya Sushena mentions its preparation in Kritanna Varga.[4] Another Ayurvedic treatiseBrhadyogatarangini describesKśīravați sweet which is presently called doodh peda.[5]
Modern variations of pedas originated in the city ofMathura in present-dayUttar Pradesh.[6] TheMathura peda is the characteristic variety of the city. From Uttar Pradesh, the pedas spread to many parts of the Indian subcontinent.Thakur Ram Ratan Singh ofLucknow who migrated toDharwad (in the present-dayKarnataka) in the 1850s introduced pedas there. This distinct variety is now famous as theDharwad pedha.[7][8] Kandi pedha fromSatara inMaharashtra is another variety of peda.[9] Dood peda, made famous by the Nandini Milk Co-operative in Karnataka, is another popular variety.
The calorie content of a peda can vary depending on the size, ingredients, and method of preparation. However, on average, a single peda can contain around 40-90 calories.[10][11] It also has a good amount of protein, fat, sucrose and lactose.[12]
Pedas have a higher Shelf-life compared to few other milk-based sweets such as therasgulla or thekalakand (last less than 2 days with refrigeration).[13] It is attributed to their high sugar and lower moisture content. It usually lasts 3 days without refrigeration.[14] In response to this challenge, techniques like vacuum and smart packing, adding anti-oxidants, and temperature control can increase the shelf-life of pedas.
Each region has its own method of preparation.[15] Some of the most popular types of peda are Doodh peda/Mathura peda from Uttar Pradesh, Kunthalgiri peda and Dharwad peda from Karnataka, and Lal peda from Eastern Uttar Pradesh.[16] In addition, there are variations with respect to flavor and texture- such as Plain peda, Kesar peda, and Brown peda. To embrace a healthier, low-fat lifestyle, there are now new varieties of pedas available, including hazelnut and walnut flavored options.[17] Other dairy products that share similarities with peda are Kunda,[18] Thabdi,[19]Bal mithai, andKalakand. While pedas are commonly found in most sweet stores throughout India, there are also large-scale dairy producers such asAmul,Nandini andMother Dairy that are involved in the production of pedas.[20]
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It is a dessert consumed on various occasions such as festivals likeGanesh Chaturthi,Diwali,Rakhsha Bandhan, baby arrivals or weddings. It is distributed especially when a boy child is born.[21] It is also one of the most popular sweets offered toKrishna duringKrishna Janmashtami, the festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna.[22]
As withladdus, pedas are sometimes used asprasadam in religious services.
It is believed to beKrishna’s favourite sweet and is widely consumed during Krishna Janmashtami. There is a popular story that has been passed down for ages of how peda was first made. Krishna’s motherYashoda forgot to turn off the oven the milk was boiling on. By the time she remembered it, the milk had thickened considerably. To salvage it, she decided to add sugar and give it to Krishna.[23] It is believed that Krishna liked it so much that the tradition of offering peda to Krishna began inMathura, the birthplace of Krishna.[24]
पेड़ा [Prk. पेंडओ = S. पिण्डकः], s.m. A ball or lump of leavened dough; — a kind of sweetmeat (made of curds).
Virudha-dhana [virūḍhadhānā], Shashkuli [śaṣkuli], Madhu-krodas [madhukroḍa] with Pindakas [piṇḍaka], Pupa [pūpa] and Pupalika [pūpalikā] and other preparations of flour are extremely heavy.
Piṇḍaka (पिण्डक) refers to a type of dish featuring milk (kṣīra) as an ingredient, as described as described in the 17th century Bhojanakutūhala...Boil milk with sugar until it is condensed. Add cardamom, cloves and black pepper into this mixture. This preparation is called as piṇḍaka. This preparation is comparable with the famous sweet 'peḍa'.
In Ayurveda Mahodadhi, vaidya Susena over the chapter of Kritanna Varga, mentions the qualities of a preparation named ksira vatika.[dead link]
The Brhadyogatarangini describes स्नेहदुग्धसक्तक, क्षीरवटी, क्षीरमोदक, स्वादुलड्डुक, दुग्धमण्डक, दुग्धकरञ्जिका and क्षीरशाकम्
