Peda mitthai being made from doodh at a halwai's in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

From the archive record

Penda or peda being made at a halwai's shop in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Pedas are made year-round. They are made across India. Peda (pronounced [ˈpeːɽa]) or Pera is a sweet dish hailing from the Indian subcontinent. It originated from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. Usually prepared in thick, semi-soft pieces, its main ingredients are khoa, sugar and traditional flavorings including cardamom seeds, pistachio nuts and saffron. Its colour varies from a creamy white to a caramel colour. The word peda is also generically used to mean a sphere of any doughy substance such as flour or khoa. Variant spellings and names for the dessert include pedha, penda (in Gujarati) and pera. Pedas originated in the city of Mathura in the present-day Uttar Pradesh. The Mathura Peda is the characteristic variety f