Quick Kesar Penda { Indian Fudge}

Quick Kesar Penda { Indian Fudge}
Long before the world invented milk powder, my grannies used milk to make Mawo/Mawa or Khoya for all traditional desserts like Gulab Jamun, Burfi and Penda at home.
As Gujarati’s any celebration, good news - birth or passing of final exams or what have you -- is usually marked with distribution of penda to family and neighbors.
And because grannies would not let us eat anything before the evening temple offering, for me it was the agonizing wait for Prasad sitting criss crossed leg next to my grannie for an hour at the temple hoping to get a whole penda to myself and they praying they would not break it in half because I was a kid, I usually pinched Grannie’s either way.
After the grannies penda, the next best thing in the world is the Gujarati Mithai shop pendas, they are caramel in color, made from milk solids/Mawa and sugar. If you have ever travelled to and brought the famous Gujarat ni mithai shop penda you will remember the ones that are stamped with its origin.
Sometimes when grannies travelled back to India they would bring these back wrapped in a linen bag, an ideal travel companion! These are a labor of love and made with only sugar and caramelized milk solids, but the taste and texture simply cannot be replicated at home trust me on that.
While recipes may differ house to house, the base ingredients of penda are milk and sugar cooked to a fudge and rolled into a ball, stamped with a penda press, a empty thread spool or an old-fashioned glass with a fancy bottom! Nuts are purely optional.
Although traditional recipes and methods are always the best, with kids, and the frenzy I create during Diwali or Eid, this instant and quick recipe using condensed milk and milk powder is a lifesaver for me. I have added a bit of Mawa to mine for nostalgia, it's totally optional.
- Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk - 14 oz/397g
- 1 tbsp. ghee or little more
- 4 cup of milk powder
- 2 tsp. cardamom powder.
- 1 tsp. nutmeg powder
- 1/4 tsp. or 1/2 tsp. saffron pistils
- 1 tbsp. warm milk
- 3 tbsp. Mawa/Khoya/milk solids (optional)
1. Steep the saffron strands in warm milk and let it bloom.
2. In a heavy bottom pan on medium low heat add the ghee.
3. When ghee melts, add the milk powder.
4. Mix well and stir continuously on a low- medium heat for 12-13 minutes or until the mixture takes on a grainy sand like texture, but do not let it burn- low heat if necessary.
5. Add condensed milk and saffron steeped milk, mix thoroughly
6. Roast the mixture for another 8-10 minutes or until it thickens and the cooked dough starts to leave the sides of the pan but does not slide off the spatula.
7. Add the nutmeg and cardamom powders, mix and remove the pan from heat.
8. Let the dough cool for 3-4 minutes, rub a bit of ghee on your palms and scoop out tablespoon size balls and flatten a bit, using a thread spool or a penda press or the top of a citrus reamer press a design on the surface of the penda.
9. Garnish with chopped pistachios or one or two saffron stands or edible rose petals.
10. Arrange the Kesar Penda on a lined tray and leave to air dry for 5-6 hours, this helps form that delicious crust on the outside.
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