Add ghee to a heavy-bottomed pan.
Add desiccated coconut to it. Sauté the coconut on the medium-low setting until it emits its nutty aroma. This will take somewhere between 4-5 minutes over medium-low flame.
Add cream to the coconut. Do not skip the cream.Tip — The delicate crunch of desiccated coconut and the milky richness from the cream and milk powder creates a magical combination that makes the recipe a stunner that is marveled at! After adding the cream, don't stop stirring to avoid lump formation in the coconut.
Add powdered sugar.
Mix until well-blended.
Add milk powder, coconut extract, and cardamom powder.
Mix until well-blended. Sauté this mixture for 4-5 minutes on the lowest heat setting.
Soon the coconut mixture will thicken and turns into a soft dough. Turn off the heat.
Take a little mixture and roll it between your thumb and fingers; it should roll into a ball and still be slightly sticky. Meaning - while rolling the dough ball, a small part of the mix will still stick to your fingers.
Allow the coconut mix to cool for a few minutes. Now, grease your hands and knead the dough for 4- 5 minutes with your hands to ensure extra melt-in-the-mouth smoothness. At this point, the mixture should not be sticky at all. Tip — Kneading the peda dough helps eliminate the lumps that may have formed during cooking. Therefore, this is an essential step not to be skipped. Use a mold to shape the pedas.
Garnish with pistachios, and enjoy!
Feel free to roll the coconut malai peda without the mold. For that, take about a golf size dough ball and roll it into your hands. Flatten the ball.
Your peda is ready; repeat the process with the rest of the mixture.
Garnish with saffron strands and cardamom powder, and enjoy! These delicious little treats are my go-to sweet recipe for festivals and special occasions.