Saffron black cardamom fudge

  • Portion size: Makes 30-35 pieces
  • Hands-on time 30 min, plus cooling
  • Difficulty: easy
Recipe by: Sumayya Usmani

This black cardamom fudge recipe from Sumayya Usmani is based on her mother’s recipe. The smoky flavour of black cardamom becomes intense when heated, so don’t be tempted to add more than a few seeds from the pod. You can use the rest in pulao or to make chai.

Recipe taken from Andaza: A Memoir of Food, Flavour and Freedom in the Pakistani Kitchen by Sumayya Usmani (Murdoch Books, £25)

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Ingredients

    • 1 black cardamom pod
    • 350g condensed milk
    • 150ml whole milk
    • 115g unsalted butter
    • 450g demerara sugar
    • Small pinch saffron
    • 1 tbsp dried rose petals
    • 1 tbsp pistachio slivers

Specialist kit

    • 20cm square tin
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Method

  1. Line the tin with baking paper. Crack open the cardamom pod and extract the seeds. Grind 3-4 of the seeds to a powder and put them in a nonstick or heavy-based saucepan with the cracked pod, condensed milk, milk, butter and sugar.
  2. Put the pan over a medium heat and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a steady boil, stirring constantly. Let the mixture boil for about 3 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 115°C.
  3. Lightly crush the saffron between your fingertips. Add it to the pan and stir in with a wooden spoon, then take the pan off the heat and carefully fish out the cardamom pod. Let the fudge mixture sit for 4-5 minutes, then beat with the wooden spoon until it begins to come together into a ball and leaves the sides of the pan. If you like you fudge chewy, stop beating now; if you like it to be more melt-in-the-mouth, keep beating until it starts to get crumbly.
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  5. Once the fudge has reached your desired consistency, press it into the tin, smoothing it with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle with the rose petals and pistachio slivers, pressing them into the fudge. Leave to cool and set for 1-1½ hours before scoring it, then cut into pieces and store in a tin or jar for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

  • 112kcals Calories
  • 3.9g (2.3g saturated) Fat
  • 1g Protein
  • 18.3g (18.3g sugars) Carbs

Quick wins & tips

Black cardamom pods are very different from the more common green ones and have a smoky, almost eucalyptus-like flavour.

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