Author: Rajeshree Gandhi

Shrikhand is a classic Indian dessert made from strained curd (hung yogurt or chakka), sweetened and flavored with saffron, cardamom, nuts or fruits like Mango, Strawberry, Pineapple, Custard apple etc. It’s thick, creamy, slightly tangy, and deeply nourishing when prepared traditionally.

Some of the health benefits are as follows.

• Supports Gut Health:
  Homemade shrikhand retains the probiotics (good bacteria) from curd, which improve digestion, reduce bloating, and support immunity.
• Excellent Source of Protein:
  Made from curd, shrikhand is rich in casein protein, which supports muscle repair and growth. Good for vegetarians who need high-quality protein sources.
• Rich in Calcium and Phosphorus:
  Helps strengthen bones and teeth, especially beneficial for growing children and older adults.
• Aids Digestion and Cooling:
  The natural lactic acid and cool nature of yogurt soothe the digestive system and reduce body heat, especially in summer.
• Good for Skin and Hair
  The probiotic and protein content helps maintain healthy gut-skin connection, reducing dullness and promoting natural glow.
  The fats and zinc also help in skin hydration and hair nourishment.
• Boosts Energy:
  Contains natural milk sugars (lactose) and sometimes jaggery or sugar, which give instant energy without heaviness if eaten moderately.
• Can Be Balanced for Health:
  If you use hung curd from cow’s milk, jaggery or rocksugar instead of sugar, and add nuts or fruits, shrikhand becomes a complete, wholesome dessert — rich in protein, calcium, probiotics, and healthy fats.

Ingredients

• 1 lit. Cow milk.
• 4 tbsp. Rock Sugar.
• ¼ tsp. Cardamom powder.
• 2 tbsp. Mixed dry fruits of your choice.

Method

1. Boil milk and make a curd and then hung curd out of it.
2. Beat hung curd with the help of beater for 2 – 3 minutes. You will get smooth creamy paste.
3. Add Sugar and again mix well with the help of beater.
4. Plain Shrikhand is ready to serve. Serve it with love and smile.
5. If you wish you can mix Cardamom powder, chopped mix dry fruits or fruits of your choice.

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Rose Pink Peda

ॐ देवी सिद्धिदात्र्यै नमः
Maa Siddhidatri is the final form of Durga — the giver of all Siddhis (divine powers) and perfection. She sits on a lotus, radiating compassion and completeness. Half of her form resides within Lord Shiva as Ardhanarishwara, symbolising the perfect union of masculine and feminine energies.
She governs the entire chakra system, particularly transcending the Sahasrara, where individuality dissolves into cosmic consciousness. She blesses her devotees with insight, spiritual powers, and contentment — the realization that the divine dwells within.

Pink signifies unconditional love, compassion, and spiritual harmony — the culmination of all Navadurga energies into oneness. Wearing pink on the last day invokes divine blessings of joy and fulfillment.

Ingredients

• 100 gms. Paneer.
• ¼ cup sugar powder.
• ⅛ tsp. Beetroot juice.
• Makhana powder.
• Pumpkin seeds.

Method

1. Grate paneer and keep aside.
2. Grate ¼ piece of Beetroot, squeeze juice from it and keep aside.
3. In a mixing bowl mix juice and Sugar powder in grated paneer so you will get beautiful Pink color. Add Makhana powder to adjust the dough like consistency.
4. Knead more to get smooth dough. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions. Roll each portion separately and press gently to get the peda shape.
5. Garnish each peda with Pumpkin seeds.
6. Offer Rose Pink peda to Devi Siddhidatri with love faith and devotion.

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Jade Peda

                 ॐ देवी महागौर्यै नमः

Maa Mahagauri is the embodiment of purity, serenity, and spiritual calm. After severe penance to attain Lord Shiva, her complexion turned dark; when Shiva cleansed her with the holy Ganga, she regained her radiant white glow, symbolising the purification of the soul through devotion and perseverance. She rides a bull and holds a trident and damaru, representing control over both action and sound — the outer and inner worlds. Mahagauri governs the Sahasrara Chakra (Crown Chakra), representing divine consciousness and enlightenment. When this chakra is activated, one experiences profound inner peace and unity with the universe.
Wearing Peacock green invites peace and grace.Peacock green reflects balanced growth — a blend of serenity (blue) and vitality (green) — the colour of rejuvenation and self-realisation.

Ingredients

• 100 gms Paneer
• ¼ cup Sugar powder.
• ¼ cup Spinach juice.
• ¼ cup Blue Pea flower Tea.
• 2 tbsp. Makhana powder.
• 1 tbsp.Black Sesame seeds paste
• ⅛ tsp. Beetroot juice.
• 1 tsp. Ghee.

Method

1. Grate paneer and keep aside
2. Wash 30 leaves of Spinach. Pluck the leaves and grind them without water in a grinder. Strain the juice with the help of the Tea strainer and keep aside. Don’t throw the residues. You can use them in soup.
3. Grate less than ¼ size of beetroot because we want only ⅛ tsp. juice. squeeze the  grated beetroot  and keep aside the juice.
4. Boil ½ cup of dried blue pea flowers in ½ cup water and reduce to half. Strain the blue Tea and keep aside.
5. Heat ½ tsp. ghee in a non stick pan and reduce the Spinch juice into 1 tsp.
6. Mix the juice with grated paneer so you will get green paneer.
7. In the same non stick pan again heat ½ tsp. ghee and reduce the Blue Pea Tea into 1 tsp.
8. Mix this blue tea in the green paneer.
9. Also add ⅛ tsp. Of beetroot juice in the same paneer.
10. Due to the mixing of juices our paneer becomes a little juicy so add 2-3 tbsp. Makhana powder, so you will get a dough like consistency.
11. Now mix sugar powder and divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Roll them and gently press to give the peda shape. Garnish with watermelon seeds.
12. Offer Jade peda to Devi Maha gauri with love , faith and devotion.
13. As here using natural ingredients you won’t get the exact peacock green colour. But it’s ok. Devotional love  is more important than perfection.

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Mango Peda.

             B ॐ देवी कालरात्र्यै नमः
Kalaratri is the fiercest form of Durga, dark-skinned with disheveled hair, riding a donkey, carrying a sword, and blazing torch. She destroyed demons and removed fear from the world. She represents the destruction of ignorance and evil. Devi Kalaratri rules the Sahasrara doorway (crown-process of awakening) which destroys ignorance and prepares  the sadhaka for higher awakening.
Wearing orange draws courage and positivity, dispelling negativity.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of full fat milk.
• ½ cup Aam ras ( Mango Pulp)
• 1 tbsp. Sugar.
• Almonds

Method

1. Heat milk in a non stick pan on a fast flame.
2. Stir continuously and when water content reduces switch the flame to slow. Now add  sugar and Mango pulp together in the pan. Mix well and when the contents start leaving the pan and looks like dough, switch off the flame.
3. When it cools down, divide dough into 5 equal parts. Roll each portion separately and gently press to give the peda shape.
4. Garnish with Almonds.
5. Offer Mango peda to Devi Kalaratri with love faith and devotion.

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Black Sesame seeds Peda.

             ॐ देवी कात्यायन्यै नमः
Devi katyayani is the daughter of  Rishi Katyayan. Maa Katyayani rides a lion and carries a sword. She is a fierce form, worshipped as the warrior goddess who destroyed Mahishasura. Devi Katyayani rules the Ajna (third-eye) chakra, the center of  intuition, inner vision and decisive insight. She represents courage, protection, and righteousness.
Wearing grey invokes inner stability and the ability to face challenges with grace.

The warrior goddess who destroyed Mahishasura blesses us with courage. Wearing grey brings balance and strength.

Ingredients

• 100 gms.  Paneer.
• 2 tbsp. Makhana powder
• 1 tbsp. Black Sesame seeds paste.
• ¼ cup Sugar powder.

Method

1. Grate paneer and keep aside.
2. In a mixing bowl mix grated paneer, sesame seeds paste and Sugar powder. Mix well and now add 1 or 2 tbsp. of makhana  powder to get dough like consistency. 
3. Divide the dough into five equal parts. Each portion rolls separately with the help of your palms. Gently press to shape the peda and garnish it with Watermelon seeds.
4. Offer Black Sesame seeds Peda to Devi Katyayani with love faith and devotion.

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Ingredients

• ½ cup Black Sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. Olive oil.

Method

1. Dry roast Sesame seeds and keep aside to cool down.
2. In a mixture grinder grind seeds in pulse mode till you get fine powder.
3. Now again start grinding but this time at high speed. This will release oil from the seeds. But it is not sufficient to get a smooth paste so we have to add extra oil which should be odour less. Ideally we have to add refined oil but personally I don’t like to use refined oil so adding Olive oil.
4. Add ½ tsp. Oil in a grinding jar. If you want a more flowy consistency then add ½ tsp. more.
5. Out of ½ cup of Sesame seeds you will get 2 – 3 tbsp. of Sesame seeds paste.

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Palak Peda

             ॐ देवी स्कन्दमातायै नमः
Devi Skandmata, the mother of Kartikeya (Skanda), rides a lion carrying her divine child on her lap. She has four arms and a compassionate expression, symbolising motherly love and protection.
Maa Skandamata rules the Vishuddha (throat) chakra: the centre of expression, purity and wise communication. Wearing green invokes prosperity and renewal of life energy.

Ingredients

• 100 gms Paneer.
• 30 – 40 leaves of Spinach.(¼ cup  juice)
• ½ tsp. Ghee.
• ¼ cup Makhana powder.
• 1½ tbsp. Condensed milk or 2 -3 tbsp. Sugar powder.
• Watermelon seeds.

Method

1. Wash 30 – 40 Spinach leaves. pluck leaves and discard it’s stalks.
2. In a mixture grinder grind Spinach leaves  without water into fine paste.
3. Squeeze the paste to get green Spinach juice. Please do not throw residues. You can add in any vegetable or in dal or in soup.
4. Heat ghee in a non stick pan. Add juice in it and reduce till you will get ½ tsp. (Heating direct juice without  any greased medium will give you smoky flavour so always use ghee or refined oil as a medium to reduce juice).
5. Switch off the flame and add grated paneer, condensed milk and Cardamom powder in the same pan. Mix thoroughly. Add Makhana powder as required to get dough like consistency (totally depends on the consistency of the paneer and condensed milk)
6. Divide dough into equal portions. Each portion roll out into smooth ball and then press gently to give peda shape.
7. Divide this green dough into equal portions. Each portion rolls out into a smooth ball and then press gently to give the peda shape.
8. Offer these green Spinach peda to Devi Skandmata with love, faith and devotion.

Ingredients

• 3 cup Makhana.

Method

1. Dry roast Makhana on the slow flame till it breaks easily with the help of your two fingers. This will take 15 to 20 minutes.
2. OR
3. Spread Makhana on a ceramic dinner plate and place it in the microwave.
4. It will roast in 3:30 to 4:30 minutes depending upon the quality of Makhana. Stir every minute to avoid burning.
5. When it completely  cools down, grind it in a mixture grinder.
6. Sieve this powder with the help of soup strainer. Either grind the coarse residue again or fill  in the separate airtight container to be used for garnishing.
7. Store the powder in air tight container and use as a binding material or as a thickner in some gravy or soup or in some sweets or as you wish.

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Kesar Peda

              ॐ देवी कूष्माण्डायै नमः

Maa Kushmanda is the creator of the universe through her divine smile, she brings vitality and joy. She is depicted as the “Ashtabhuja” (eight-handed) goddess, riding a lion, holding weapons and a lotus. 

Maa Kushmanda rules the Anahata (heart) chakra: the source of love, vitality and creative life-force.  Wearing yellow spreads positivity and energy

Ingredients

• 200 gms. Paneer.
• ¼ cup Makhana powder.
• 2 tbsp. Condensed milk or 4 tbsp. Sugar powder.
• Few strands of Saffron. + ½ tsp. Milk.
• Pumpkin seeds.
• 4 – 5 Cardamom

Method

1. Lavigate saffron in milk and keep aside.
2. Grate paneer and keep aside.
3. Make a powder of cardamom and keep aside.
4. In a mixing bowl or plate, mix paneer, condensed milk,  makhana powder and saffron together. You will get a dough like consistency.
5. Divide it into 5 equal parts.
6. Roll each part separately with the help of your palms into a smooth ball.  And after that gently press to get a peda-like structure.
7. Garnish with saffron and Pumpkin seeds.
8. Offer Kesar peda to Devi Kushmanda with love, faith and devotion.

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