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petha recipe | petha sweet | Agra petha | dry petha - Indian sweet |
Tarla Dalal
17 December, 2024
Table of Content
petha recipe | petha sweet | Agra petha | dry petha - Indian sweet | with step by step images.
petha is a special north Indian mithai that is especially famous in some regions like Agra and Mathura. Learn how to make dry petha - Indian sweet.
To make petha, prick the ash gourd cubes, combine with slaked lime and enough water and keep aside overnight. Next day drain in running water. Then cook ash gourd cubes in water and powdered alum mixture for 10 minutes. Again drain and keep aside. Then make sugar syrup and add ash gourd pieces in it and cook for 5 minutes. Cover and keep for 5 minutes. Thereafter keep cook and strain it as per the steps given. Finally roll it in powdered sugar to get the perfect petha.
The moment you have a look at the ingredients list you will realise that this Agra petha is very unlike other sweets you might have cooked or tasted before. Simply put, the Petha is a sweetened cube of ash gourd, but the use of ingredients like lime and alum, as well as the special preparation procedure, give it an off-beat texture that is crisp, juicy, chewy and kind of melt-in-the-mouth too!
It is quite difficult to explain the fabulous experience, which has to be tried first-hand to understand. The petha can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks, so you can comfortably make a large batch and enjoy it whenever you wish. The Rajasthanis especially like to pop a petha into their mouth after meals, so you could try doing that too.
Tips for making Petha. 1. Cleaning of ash gourd in the initial stage while it is soaked in alum is very important. 2. Make sure to maintain the consisitency of the sugar syrup. 3. Drain the petha very well before coating with powdered sugar.
Also check out the petha variants - Petha Paan and Angoori Petha.
Enjoy petha recipe | petha sweet | Agra petha | dry petha - Indian sweet | with step by step photos.
Petha recipe - How to make Petha
Tags
Preparation Time
20 Mins
Cooking Time
66 Mins
Total Time
86 Mins
Makes
30 pieces
Ingredients
For Petha
4 cups ash gourd cubes , cut into 50 mm. x 50 mm.
1 tsp slaked lime
2 tsp powdered alum (phitkari)
3 cups sugar
1/4 tsp kewra essence
powdered sugar for rolling
Method
- Prick each ash gourd cube with a fork at close intervals.
- Combine the slaked lime with enough water in a deep bowl and mix well till it dissolves completely.
- Add the pricked ash gourd and mix well. Cover it with a lid and keep aside overnight.
- Next day, drain and wash the ash gourd thoroughly under running water and keep aside.
- Boil enough water in a deep non-stick pan, add the powdered alum and mix well till it dissolves completely.
- Add the ash gourd, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Drain well and again wash the ash gourd thoroughly under running water. Keep aside.
- Combine the sugar and 1½ cups of water in a deep non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 4 minutes or till the sugar dissolves completely, while stirring occasionally.
- Add the ash gourd, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Cover it with a lid and keep aside for 24 hours.
- Strain the ash gourd in a deep bowl and keep the sugar water aside.
- Transfer the sugar water into a deep non-stick pan and cook on a medium flame for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Switch off the flame, add the ash gourd and mix well. Cover it with a lid and keep aside for 24 hours.
- Repeat step 11 to 13 for next 2 days.
- On the 4th day, again strain the ash gourd in a deep bowl and keep the sugar water aside.
- Transfer the sugar water into a deep non-stick pan and cook on a medium flame for 7 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Switch off the flame, add the kewda essence and mix well.
- Add the ash gourd and mix well. Cover it with a lid and keep aside for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours, cook the ash gourd along with the remaining sugar syrup on a medium flame for 5 minutes, while stirring continuously.
- Strain the excess sugar syrup using a strainer and discard it.
- Once the ash gourd is completely drained, roll each cube in the powdered sugar. Drain the excess sugar using a sieve.
- Repeat step 21 once again with the ash gourd.
- Place the ash gourd cubes on a perforated plate at regular intervals and allow it to dry overnight or till firm.
- Serve or store refrigerated in an air-tight container.
Petha recipe with step by step photos
Nutrient values (Abbrv)per plate
| Energy | 74 cal |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18.5 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 0 mg |
Click here to view Calories for Petha
The Nutrient info is complete
Revathy
March 13, 2025, midnight
Tarla Dalal
March 13, 2025, midnight
Thanks for the feedback !!! keep reviewing recipes and articles you loved.
Sneha chavan
March 13, 2025, midnight
Tarla Dalal
March 13, 2025, midnight
Thanks for the feedback !!! Keep reviewing recipes and articles you loved.
Satya Prakash
March 13, 2025, midnight
Just 74 calories as you said and it became unhealthy? And your poison poison for sugar, I felt you should not review any dishes. Just day it is a poison as this contain sugar.
Foodie #559116
March 13, 2025, midnight
Excellent
swapnil
March 13, 2025, midnight
Hey I tried to make the petha sweet at home but the problem is that it does not get dry n hard so I don''t kno how or what is d best way to do Please do advice Swapnil
Tarla Dalal
March 13, 2025, midnight
Hi Swapnil, sorry for delayed reply.. We have retried this recipe in our kitchen.. we have changed the recipe.. and this has turned very well. Please do try the recipe exactly, and you will be happy with the result.. Do try the recipe and give us your feedback.. Happy cooking!
Archana
March 13, 2025, midnight
Petha.. one of my favourite sweet.. now petha can me made at home and stored.. It is a long process.. but it was worth it.. and i was appreciated once i made it.. It just taste so exact as you get in the market.. Thank you for this recipe..
syed imran
March 13, 2025, midnight
Hi mam, Ones i try Agra petha but it''s totally melt.I want video for dry Agra petha plz ,.
Tarla Dalal
March 13, 2025, midnight
Hi Syed, making Petha is an art.. as our team have tried this recipe for anumber of times to get it perfect.. I would suggest you to make it with lot of patience.. as it takes 4 to 5 days to make a perfect petha.. and make sure you do not use the very small kind of petha.. use an oval and medium in size petha...and it should be light green in colour.. Do try it one more time.. and do let us know.. your feedback..
D.N.Shalini
March 13, 2025, midnight
I tried this recipe and it came out tastefully and beautifully. I didn''t repeat the last repetition because I couldn''t stop salivating! Thanks for the easy step by step method. D. N. Shalini.
SANATAN MAHARANA
March 13, 2025, midnight
Nice receipe
Melidah
March 13, 2025, midnight
Navneet Verma
March 13, 2025, midnight
Whenever, I visit your site to see nutritional value of any indian dish or ingredients, it gets very confusing..as given in Petha ..you are saying one piece . How much weight we should consider for one piece? It goes for other items as well and rest of the information is very useful. Please do the needful. P.S. : One piece could be any weight and it is not ideal way to count macros and calories. Thanks, Navneet Verma.
Paul
March 13, 2025, midnight
How can we do a variant by adding safrin liquid
March 13, 2025, midnight
Is there a variant to this, like safran Petha
Tarla Dalal
March 13, 2025, midnight
Hi, You can add saffron to the sugar syrup in the last stage to make safron petha.
