[Indian Recipes] Guava Fudge – Sweet Indian Halwa

It’s pouring cats and dogs here… I was sitting on our porch sipping on tea and wondering how to kill time. Suddenly I saw a Guava tree in our neighbor’s house full of Guavas. Not just a few… baskets full of it! Mom told me that nobody eats them and they all get rotten.

I just couldn’t bear the thought of so many sweet, juicy guavas getting wasted. I had time on hand and tons of guavas… what do I make? Guava Fudge/Halwa! After a week without any desserts/sweets (YES! you heard that right!!) I deserved a piece of sinful Indian halwa/fudge laden with sugar and ghee…

That’s about 4KGS of Guavas fresh from the tree!



We went and got a big bucket full of ripe, juicy guavas as our neighbors were more than happy to get rid of it and proceeded with the guava fadge making task! Let me warn you right in the beginning!! There is nothing healthy or quick about it!

Guavas are often included among superfruits, being rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, folic acid, and the dietary minerals,potassium, copper and manganese. Having a generally broad, low-calorie profile of essential nutrients, a single common guava (P. guajava) fruit contains about four times the amount of vitamin C as an orange. (source)

Guavas are very healthy. Cooking with so much sugar and ghee is probably not the healthiest way to eat it but it sure is a tasty way but then again… I assume fudge filled with guava is healthier than the ones filled with white flour and butter!

Unlike my other recipes I can’t call this quick and easy. It’s not necessarily difficult but it is time consuming. It took me a little over 2 hours to transform a bucketful of fruits into a boxful of fudge!

But this guava halwa/fudge is nothing like I have ever tasted before. It’s really rich but absolutely amazing! They are very fragrant, almost like honey! They are soft, slightly grainy, like the fruit and has a beautiful deep red colour. Each bite is bursting with guava flavor! After tasting the end product I was convinced that all the hard work was worth it.

If you ever come across a basket full of guava and you have a few hours to spare you know what to do;)

Sweet, juicy Guavas

Cut them into half and scoop the seeds out.

Do not use the seeds

Guava puree and sugar

Keep stirring and cooking in low flame

Cut into squares

Each bite is bursting with guava flavor! Guava fudge/halwa

Ingredients

Guavas approximately 4 KGs
Sugar 4 cups (depends on how sweet your fruits are)
Ghee 6-8 tbsp

Direction:

Wash and clean the guavas. Cut them into half and scoop the seeds out. I used the seeds to make a spicy chutney with chilis and garlic. Do not use them in the halwa/fudge as it will result in a very grainy texture.

Roughly chop the deseeded guavas and cook them without any water. Cook for about 10-15 minutes till it’s soft. Strain the fruits to get rid of the extra water. Blend the fruits into a smooth puree.

Take a heavy bottom pan, pour the fruit puree and add the sugar. The amount of sugar to use will completely depend on how sweet your guavas are. Mine were not too sweet due to the rain so I had to use a good amount of sugar to sweeten the mixture. Cook them in low flame. As the mixture is very water it can splutter all over so keep it closed. Keep stirring the mixture every 10-15 minutes so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Mixture will change colour and will reduce in quantity. When it begins to get hard and touch to stir and starts sticking to the bottom, add the ghee. Mix well for a few more minutes. It should reach a fudgy consistency. The entire cooking time can be over an hour. When done transfer the mixture to a greased plate and smoothen the surface with a spoon. Let it cool for 2-3 hours in room temperature.

Cut into squares when cold. It can be stored for up to a week without a refrigerator.

Enjoy with your evening tea or a scoop of ice cream!

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Lovefoodeat.com . Thanks so much!