Spiced Mango Fudge | Mango Burfi

Mango has and will always be my most favorite fruit. Gorgeously yellow, ripe, juicy and sweet! 
I still remember my joy at coming to know in 3^rd grade that Mango was also known as ‘The King of fruits’, I almost felt like I got an A+ for liking a fruit that was also considered a King…well u know how kids think ;-) Another fond memory that i recollect is being allowed to eat an entire Mango all by myself while vacationing in Kerala. Simple things sure does bring a lot of happiness and pleasure doesn't it?

I absolutely love making desserts or drinks with our King of fruits when it's in season or enjoy them just as it is. But if mangoes aren’t in season and you feel like making a mango treat, canned mango pulp always comes to the rescue. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of it and it does taste rather artificial and overly sweet, but then who’s complaining. I get to make my mango treat and eat them too…that’s all that matters right? Oh and share it with friends as well…

I had already made Mango Coconut laddoos once before using mango pulp and they had received quite a lot of good reviews and has been tried by several of my friends. So I wanted to try something different this time. As my mind was brimming up with fusion Indian dessert ideas for Diwali, I thought of trying out an Indian flavored fudge and this mango fudge spiced with cardamom and dried ginger and garnished with pistachios and saffron was just the perfect treat.

I used Oats powder as the binder in this recipe, so you can say, it’s a healthy dessert of sorts too…mayb we can have these fudge bars for breakfast, hmm…wishful thinking …Lol! 

But they are delicious and sweet and we loved it. The mild spice , crunchy pistachios on top and the sweet sweet fudge, its a perfect dessert bite.

Spiced Mango Fudge

You'll need

Sweetened Mango Pulp – 2 cups

Paneer**, grated – 3 cups 

Sugar – 1 cup or ¾ cup (adjust as preferred)

Instant or Quick quicking Oats, powdered – 2 or 2 ½ cups (use as needed)

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Dry Ginger Powder – ¼ tsp

Butter or Ghee – to grease your tray

For Garnish

Roasted unsalted Pistachios, coarsely chopped/slivered – around 2-3  tblsp

Saffron strands – a pinch (optional)

** I did not make homemade Paneer and used Frozen paneer instead, but homemade is highly recommended

Directions:

1. In a non-stick kadai or deep bottomed vessel heat the mango pulp, sugar and paneer until it becomes thick (approx 3-5 mins).

2. Add the cardamom powder and dried ginger powder and mix well.

3. Finally add the powdered oats and combine it all until it becomes thick and sticky yet comes together  like a sticky dough.

4. Immediately transfer into a greased tray, garnish on top with chopped pistachios and saffron and allow the fudge to rest and cool down. Once cooled, cut into squares and enjoy!

--These can be refrigerated for about 3-4 days and still taste great!

Suggestions:

1. If you substitute the powdered oats in this recipe with Milk powder, the recipe would almost be exactly similar to that of a Mango Kalakhand.

2. Add Khoya/Khowa instead of Paneer for a richer fudge.

3. If using fresh mangoes instead of sweetened mango pulp, please add more sugar as per taste preference.

4. Fresh homemade paneer is best for this dessert, but I used frozen store-bought paneer and I noticed it became slightly chewy after getting cooked, but tasted great nevertheless.

The day I made this, I shared a snap on my facebook page and asked people to guess what it was, and I got such a huge response. Almost the same kinda response I get whenever I post cakes ;-) Some thought it was Gajar ka Halwa, others thought it was a Pumpkin halwa, but some guessed it as Mango Kalakhand and I thought, its almost close to a Kalakhand recipe, so you can call it that as well I guess :-)

So try it out and enjoy these golden beauties...you'll love them!

Also today is my parents 30th wedding anniversary, making this fudge doubly special for sharing today. Here's wishing you plenty more years of togetherness dear Mummy & Daddy...Muah! :-)

-Manju