Pera Mithai (Milk/White Indian Fudge Confectionary)

Ramadhan Mubarak! Hope everyone who is observing the month is having a jolly spiritual time! In Canada the fasts are about 16-17 hours in the major cities, longer in the Northern parts, but Alhamdullilah, not going to bad. I just learnt to make pera, my favorite indian sweetmeat, so I thought of sharing. Enjoy!

Pera

Recipe: Pera

Also known as: Penda/Doodh Pera/Peda

Categories: Sweets/Desserts

Servings: Makes 30-35

Ingredients:

3 ounces unsalted butter (plus lots more for greasing)
8 ounces milk powder, preferably a good brand such as Carnation
8 ounces evaporated/condensed milk (not sweetened) (yes, weigh the milk)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder (elchi)
saffron, heavy pinch
nutmeg powder, heavy pinch

Tools:

Metal sieve
Parchment/wax paper

Directions:

Prepare all the ingredients

Condensed/evaporated milk

Butter, sugar, milk powder, evaporated milk

Saffron, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder

Milk powder

Sieve the milk powder to remove any large lumps

Sieve milk powder

Grease a tray and prepare a large sheet of parchment paper/wax paper
In a heavy bottom pot, melt butter on low heat, do not let it boil

Melt butter

Add condensed milk, do not stir. When the mixture bubbles at the edges of the pot, add sugar (after about 4 minutes)

Add milk

Bubbling at the edges of the pot

Sugar added

After adding the sugar, mix and stir for 6-7 minutes, still on low heat
Add the cardamom, saffron and nutmeg

Add spices

Add milk powder gradually, all while stirring vigorously to remove lumps. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add milk powder

Mix with power!

Take the mixture off the heat and pour onto the greased tray. However, if there are still lumps in the mixture, pass through a metal sieve

Pass through sieve

Pour on greased tray and start portioning by pouring a tablespoon worth of mixture onto the parchment paper

Portioning

Work fast!

Grease your hands well using butter. Pick one of the portions and form into the pera shape. When you shape them for the first time, they will not be perfect. So after the first rolling, put the semi-shaped mixture back onto the parchment paper. Come back to that piece later to shape again. Therefore, the mixture needs to be shaped at least 2-3 times to achieve the right shape. Be patient!
Grease your hands between every pera.

Imprint using a spool

If you have an empty thread spool, imprint the flower pattern using the spool

Yumm!

All done!

The peras can be frozen and enjoyed later on. If not consuming within 2-3 days, place in fridge.

If you are not successful in shaping the peras, pour into a greased tray and let it set. Then cut up into squares. They are still tasty! It takes some practice for the shape to come out right.

If the peras crack, that means you cooked the mixture too much after you added the sugar.