Arcot Makkan Peda brings the magic of traditional Indian sweets right to your kitchen. This recipe creates beautiful golden balls that are crispy on the outside but incredibly soft inside. The best part? Each bite reveals a surprise of crunchy nuts hidden within. While the name might sound fancy, the process is quite simple once you get the hang of it. You’ll be making dough balls, stuffing them with dry fruits, and then giving them a sweet syrup bath. The result is a dessert that looks impressive but doesn’t require years of cooking experience to master.
About the Recipe
This recipe deserves a spot in your dessert collection because it’s both impressive and manageable. You’re creating something that looks like it came from a professional sweet shop, but you’re doing it with everyday ingredients. The combination of khoya and maida creates that perfect texture, while the nuts add a delightful crunch. What makes this special is how the sugar syrup transforms the fried balls into something magical. They absorb just enough sweetness while keeping their shape. It’s a recipe that teaches you several techniques – making dough, shaping, frying, and syrup-making all in one go.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You’ll fall in love with how these little treats come together like edible surprises. Each ball looks ordinary from the outside, but that first bite reveals the hidden treasure of nuts inside. The texture is what really gets you – that slight crunch giving way to pillowy softness. And the sweetness? It’s just right, not overwhelming but satisfying. The process itself is quite relaxing once you find your rhythm with shaping the balls. Plus, they look so professional that everyone will think you’ve been making Indian sweets for years. The smell alone while they’re frying will have your whole family gathering in the kitchen.
Cooking Tips
Getting the dough consistency right is your key to success – it should feel like gulab jamun dough, soft but not sticky. Don’t skip the one-string test for your sugar syrup; this means when you lift the spoon, the syrup falls in a single continuous thread. Keep your oil at medium heat to avoid burning the outside while the inside stays raw. When shaping the balls, work with slightly damp hands to prevent sticking. Make sure your balls are uniform in size so they cook evenly.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
This recipe makes about 20-25 pieces and takes roughly 2 hours from start to finish. Serve them at room temperature or slightly warm for the best taste experience. They’re perfect with a cup of chai or after a festive meal. Store them in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to a month. Just bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Similar Recipes
- Gulab Jamun
- Rasgulla
- Pantua
- Kala Jamun
- Cham Cham
Nutrient Benefits
These treats provide energy from natural sugars and carbohydrates, while the mixed nuts contribute healthy fats, protein, and vitamins. Khoya offers calcium and protein that’s good for bone health. The almonds and walnuts provide vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids. While these are without a doubt an indulgent treat, the nuts do add some nutritional value. Ghee contains fat-soluble vitamins and can be easier to digest than other cooking fats for many people.
Arcot Makkan Peda
Ingredients
- 500 g Maida (Plain Flour)
- 2 tbsp Curd
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1/2 tsp Cooking Soda
- 500 g Unsweetened Khoya
- 500 g Sugar
- as required Oil
- as required Dry Fruits almonds, cashews, pistachios, raisins, walnuts
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a pan over medium flame.
- Add cooking soda, maida, khoya and curd.
- Mix well to a gulab jamun dough consistency (soft dough).
- Make small balls of the dough and shape them to a cup.
- Insert few pieces of the dry fruits into each cup and roll it into a ball again.
- In a separate pan, heat 3 to 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Add the sugar and stir well until fully dissolved.
- Keep stirring and simmer until it has an one-string consistency (thick, sticky but pourable consistency) and switch off the flame.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
- Deep fry the prepared balls until golden brown.
- Remove and transfer them to the sugar syrup.
- Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.
Recipe Video
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead of time and fry later?
Yes, you can prepare the stuffed balls and refrigerate them for up to 4 hours before frying. Just bring them to room temperature for about 15 minutes before you start frying. This actually helps them hold their shape better during the frying process.
What if my sugar syrup becomes too thick or thin?
If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of hot water and stir gently. If it’s too thin, continue cooking on low heat while stirring until it reaches that one-string consistency. The syrup should coat the back of a spoon but still be pourable.
How do I know when the oil temperature is just right?
Drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should sizzle gently and rise to the surface slowly. If it browns too quickly, your oil is too hot. If it sinks and doesn’t sizzle much, the oil needs more heating.
Can I use different nuts or skip them altogether?
Surely. You can use any combination of nuts you prefer, or even add some coconut flakes. If you want to skip nuts entirely, you can make plain balls or stuff them with a small piece of jaggery for a different flavor.
1 comment
Arcot Makkan Peda. What an interesting variation of Gulab Jamun! 😀 Mouth watering. Is this available in Mumbai?