CARROT PEDA

This is the end product of an experiment I did yesterday....Being Diwali I wanted to come out with something original without following any recipe from the internet or books....Luckily it came out well and delicious..To make it richer I went lavish on the use of condensed milk and cashewnuts..Its anyway a very good combo- cashew,carrot and paneer.Two medium sized carrots will yield about 1 cup of the same after grating ...These pedas are rich, but on spl occasions like Diwali you can excuse youself !The cashewnuts should be soaked in 1/2 cup milk and ground to a fine paste..Do the same with the paneer as well, using little milk from the specified quantity.The specified qty of milk is 3/4 cup.. However use only enough qty of milk for grinding the cashew and paneer.I have not used any colour,the creamy peach colour of the peda is attractive enough.Care should be taken to prevent the mixture from catching on the bottom..So continuous stirring is a requisite..Cardamom powder should be added only after switching off the flame.Store the pedas in an airtight tupperware.I usually keep a few containers for storing sweets..These containers are never used to store curries or any other savoury food items.

HERE ARE THE INGREDIENTS I USED:-

1)Carrots grated fine--1 cup packed

2)Paneer--1 cup

3)Cashewnuts--1/2 cup

4)Nestle condensed milk--1 tin

5)Sugar--1/3 cup

6)Ghee--6 tblsp

7)Cardamom powder--1 tsp

8)Milk for grinding the paneer, for soaking and grinding the nuts,cooking the carrots etc--3/4 cups

METHOD:-

Soak the cashew in 1/2 cup milk..In a clean non stick pan fry the grated carrots until dry stirring all the time to prevent browning..Add 2 tblsp milk and cook till done.

Add the other ingredients such as the creamed paneer, cashewnuts ground to a fine paste with the milk,sugar,condensed milk and 2 tblsps ghee..

Cook and thicken over low flame stirring all the time...Towards the end add the remaining ghee and cook till the mixture becomes thick and a small amount taken out and cooled can be rolled into a smooth soft ball.

Switch off the flame and stir in the cardamom powder..Transfer the mixture into another bowl and let it cool down..

Take small amounts and roll into balls.. Flatten a little to get peda shapes and serve decorated with pistas and silver leaves.

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL OF YOU!!!