Indian Sweets & Desserts

DHARWAD PEDHA/HOW TO MAKE DHARWAD PEDHA

November 5, 2020

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DHARWAD PEDHA /धारवाड पेढ़ा

Dharwad Pedha is entirely different from other pedhas with which we are quite familiar like Mathura ke pedhe, Kesar pedha, milk pedha and several others. The base of these Dharwad pedhas can be mava or chenna/paneer and has quite a unique process to make. Today I have tried my hand on paneer-based Dharwad Pedha. I have used homemade paneer as this makes the perfect softest pedhas. The paneer is cooked twice until it gets its signature caramel and coffee hues. Finally, the prepared pedha is rolled into the powdered sugar

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Dharwad Pedha is famous in the name of Dharwad city in the Dharwad district of North-West Karnataka from where it became famous and its popularity has reached overseas. The history goes back to the mid Nineteenth century when many families from Unaao Uttar Pradesh reached Dharwad Karnataka due to the spread of the plague there. And also reached their practice of family recipe of this pedha. Since then this pedha has been popular as Dharwad Pedha. The cooking process of this pedha is quite unique and makes a little crumbly (daanedaar) when taken a bite.

If you have some homemade or store brought paneer right now, let’s start making this yummy pedha with me

Prep time – 60 minutes(prep time includes making homemade paneer)
Cook time – 50 minutes
Type – Sweets/Indian sweets
Cuisine – Dharwad (Karnataka)
Author – Bharti Dhawan

ALL WE NEED TO MAKE DHARWAD PEDHA

• Homemade or store brought paneer – 250 gms
• Powdered sugar – 70 gms(half cup) + some more for rolling the ready pedhas
• Ghee – 1 tsp
• Milk – 3/4 cup to 1 cup
• Ilaychi (cardamom powder) – 1/2 tsp

STEP BY STEP
STEP 1
MAKING HOMEMADE PANEER

1- Keep the milk for boiling
When boiled, add the juice of lemons slowly by stirring

2- Add required lemon juice until the milk starts curdling (you will notice the greenish colour of the water. This is the sign if complete curdling of milk)

3- Drain the paneer water through a big strainer with a muslin cloth in (keep the water to use in soups, curries, and making dals)

4- Now rinse the paneer with fresh water until the lemon juice and flavour is gone

5- Next, let the chhena/paneer/milk solids in the strainer to drain out all the water(this will take nearly 30-40 minutes)

STEP 2
MAKING OF DHARWAD PEDHA

1- Keep a heavy kadahi or a nonstick kadahi on flame and add paneer

2- Break the lumps with the wooden spatula to make it crumbly

3- Roast this at low-medium flame so that the moisture is gone completely

4- Bring the flame at low now and roast paneer by stirring continuously. Add 1 tsp ghee at this stage to prevent paneer from drying

5- By adding ghee the colour of paneer will start changing. When you see it’s light brown colour, add sugar at this stage. Keep the flame low

6- After adding sugar, this will release some water. Roast/bhunow paneer at medium flame now until the water is dried

7- Keep stirring until paneer becomes caramel golden. Paneer will become hard and crumbly because of sugar. Add 2 tsp milk at this stage

8- Switch off the flame but keep stirring paneer continuously to prevent it from burning because of high temperature. Add 2 more spoon of milk. Switch off the flame

STEP 3

1- Allow the crumbly paneer to cool a little. Now add this to a blender with half a cup of milk and blend until you get a very smooth paste

2- Transfer the paste to the kadahi again and bhunow again until it leaves the ghee and becomes coffee-brown colour.

3- Keep stirring and add ilaychi/cardamom powder and mix well

4- Switch off the flame but keep stirring. You will notice that it has come together like a dough

5- When the mix is cooled down, take some in the hand and make the cylindrical-shaped pedhas. This is no fancy pedha so as not to worry about the shape and size

6- Spread some powdered sugar in a plate. Roll each pedha into powdered sugar to coat well