Name: Mathura Peda | Mawa Barfi | Mathura Ke Dharwad Pede | Khoa, Khoya Kowa Barfi Or Burfi
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 200 g Khoa (or Khoya); 1/4 to 1/2 cup Sugar ((adjust to taste)); 2 pods Cardamom ((optional)); 2 tbsp Ghee; 1 tbsp Pistachios (, for garnish); 200 g Khoa (or Khoya); 1/2 cup Sugar; 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder (, optional); 1 tbsp Pistachios (, for garnish); 1 tbsp Ghee (, optional)

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What is Peda or Mathura Peda?

Peda or Pera are semi-soft bites or sweet recipes originating from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. The main ingredients used to make peda are khoa and sugar. You can add flavorings like cardamom powder, saffron, pistachios, etc., if desired. Peda is also known as pera, penda, pede or pedha.

Mathura Peda vs Dharwad Peda

The cooking style is very similar for both pedas. The difference is in the browning process. Mathura peda is light in color, whereas Dharwad peda is darker in color and less sweet. Also, Mathura peda is grainier than Dharwad Peda, which is on the smoother side.

This sweet is sometimes also known as "Mathura ke Dharwad Pede."

3 Ingredients and 2 Ways - Mathura Peda| Mawa Barfi. Was it planned? Not at all!!

Please read this story before trying my recipe or check my video.

In this blog, I share only those recipes that really work very well for me, and my family gives it a go. Today, I had planned to make Mathura peda for Janmashtami, and instead of making khoya (khoa or Mawa) at home, I decided to bring store-bought ones (Amul).

I had checked several recipe videos and decided to go with the popular Mathura street-style peda recipe.

How to make Mawa Barfi or Khoya Burfi ? Mawa Barfi Kaise Banti Hai?

I mixed khoya and sugar sauteed on medium-low flame, where the mixture slowly starts changing color in about 5 to 6 minutes. It then became light golden and finally dark brown. The whole process took anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes. Check video on mawa barfi sweet recipe here.

The mixture was never dry at any point, so no question of adding milk or ghee. I transferred it to a plate and let it cool. But the mixture was not like the one I was looking for.

I kept mixing the mixture on the plate to avoid it from sticking. It looked more like a crumbly burfi mixture. I was able to bind it into pedas. But some of them appeared slightly dried, crumbly, with coarse exterior, and about to fall apart. I became disappointed and thought I had messed up. However, the pedas tasted fabulous - I am not kidding guys, just two ingredients - khoya (milk-based) and sugar - creates magic.

To salvage the khoya and sugar mixture, I decided to make mathura burfis instead of mathura pedas. I put it back in the pan and warmed it up to get to the barfi consistency.

Then, I simply transfer the warm mixture to a greased plate or plate lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle some chopped pistachios. Let sit for 30 minutes and cut them.

Sometimes mistakes happen for good. In my case, the peda turned into barfi. But what went wrong?

To be honest, nothing. Mommy duty and panic mode. Bloggers and new mommies can understand me better.

In hindsight, when I could not bind the mixture into pedas, I should have put the mixture in a mixie jar or blender and sprinkled a tablespoon of milk to obtain a moist and fine powder. Then by adding a tablespoon of ghee, everything would have worked like a charm. Never mind, the barfis looked gorgeous and tasted fabulous.

How to make Mathura Peda?

In a pan on low flame, add khoya and saute it on low flame. It will change its color and then turn light golden and finally dark golden. Dark golden color is what we are looking for. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Keep this aside. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. You can check the detailed video recipe for mathura peda here.

In a mixie jar or blender, add ¼ to ½ cup of sugar along with cardamom powder and blend it to a smooth powder.

When the mixture is still warm to touch, add the powdered sugar and mix. I started with ¼ cup sugar, and it was sufficient for us. If you like it sweeter, add more.

At this point, you can add 1 or 2 tablespoon of ghee and mix. Now take a small piece of the mixture and shape them into a round or oval shape peda. For garnish, gently press pedas into finely chopped pistachios and repeat the process for the remaining mixture.

Where do we get khoya?

Khoya, also labeled khoa or mawa, is available in the freezer section next to paneer in all Indian grocery stores. I generally use Amul brand pouch of 200g.

Other Popular Indian Sweets and Snacks

If you love Indian food and recipes you can also check some of the popular recipes from Indian cuisine on my blog.

Video recipe for Mathura Peda

Video recipe for Mawa Barfi or Khoya Burfi sweet

Recipe Card

Recipe card

Other Indian Desserts and Sweets

If you like this Mathura Peda or Mawa Barfi Sweet Recipe, don't miss to try some of my favorite and delicious Indian desserts and sweets (meetha or mithai) to try this festival season or any time of the year.