Thabdi Peda (Gujarati Caramel Milk Fudge)
Traditional Kathiawadi thabdi peda made by reducing sweetened milk with a trace of fitkari for texture, then folding in dark caramel and cardamom. Shaped by hand into soft pedas.
Ingredients
For the milk base
- 1 litre whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar use 1/2 cup in milk; reserve 1/4 cup for caramel; divided
- 1/4 tsp potassium alum powder fitkari; see notes; levelled not heaped
- 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
For finishing
- 1 tsp ghee for greasing hands and plate
Garnish
- 8 to 10 almonds optional; slivered
Instructions
Prep pans
- Set out two heavy pans. Grease a small side plate with a few drops of ghee for the set test.
Start the milk
- Pour milk into the larger pan. Bring to a lively simmer over medium-high heat, stirring often so the base does not catch.
- Add 1/2 cup sugar. Stir until fully dissolved, then sprinkle the alum powder evenly while stirring. Expect vigorous bubbling and some curdling. Keep stirring through the splutter stage until the mixture looks more cohesive and less watery.
Caramel (parallel track)
- In the second dry pan, spread the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Heat on medium without stirring until the edges melt and colour begins to turn amber. Swirl the pan gently to encourage even melting. Aim for a deep reddish-brown caramel with a toasted sugar aroma, not black smoke.
- Carefully pour the hot caramel into the milk mixture while stirring constantly. It will seize and hiss. Keep stirring until the caramel dissolves back into the milk solids.
Reduce and finish
- Continue cooking on medium-high, stirring almost constantly, until the mass thickens, pulls away from the sides in a single soft lump, and glistens with released fat. Stir in cardamom powder off the heat.
- Drop a pea-sized ball onto the greased plate. If it holds a soft shape after 1 minute, it is ready. If it spreads like sauce, return to heat for 2 to 3 minutes and test again.
Shape
- Cool until you can handle it comfortably. Grease your palms lightly with ghee and pinch walnut-sized portions. Roll into pedas or press into a small greased tray and cut squares while still warm.
- Press almond slivers on top if you like. Cool completely before storing.
Notes
Alum is traditional in very small amounts for this sweet. Use a true scant quarter teaspoon, levelled, not heaped. If you are uncomfortable with alum, see the FAQ for a lemon-water curdle option. The texture will differ slightly.
If caramel hardens into shards in the milk, keep the heat medium and stir until fully melted back in. Do not walk away from dry caramel; it burns in seconds past the ideal colour.
A chewy, rubbery peda usually means the milk solids were overcooked after caramel went in. Pull off heat as soon as the set test passes.
Storage - airtight at cool room temperature up to 3 days, or refrigerator up to 10 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best fudge softness.
Lemon alternative - some cooks use a few drops of diluted lemon juice instead of alum. Dilute 1 tsp lemon juice with 2 tsp water and add dropwise once sugar is in the milk, stirring well. Too much undiluted lemon makes the batch sour.
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