Description
Goan Perad or Guava Cheese is a family favourite at Christmas time! This chewy Goan Perad with a jelly like texture has a hint of lemon flavour and is prepared globally, with a bit of variation in the way it’s enjoyed.
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (650 grams) Guava Pulp, 4 medium guavas
- 2 cups (380 grams) White Granulated Sugar
- 2¼ tbsp (30 grams) Unsalted Butter
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Pinch of Salt (1/16 tsp)
- 1 drop Red Gel Food Colour
Method
- Lightly brush a 9”x5” loaf pan with oil and leave it aside.
- Peel and quarter the guavas and place them in a steamer. Steam for 10 minutes until the guavas have turned soft and the seed begins to pop.
- Allow the steamed guavas to cool and then toss them into a blender along with the seeds and puree them (the seeds will not blend). If you want, you could scoop out the seed before blending and pass them through the sieve separately.
- Pass the pureed guavas through a sieve to make sure there are no lumps and no seeds.
- Measure the puree in cups. You should get about two and a quarter cups. Now, place it in a heavy, wide base pan.
- Add the sugar to the puree and give it a mix.
- On a medium high heat, cook the mixture, stirring continuously for 10 minutes. The mixture will first loosen up as the sugar begins to melt and then it will begin to thicken.
- After 10 minutes, add the lemon juice and continue cooking the mixture for another 10 minutes. Continue stirring during this process.
- When the mixture gets thicker, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the butter and red food colour.
- Continue cooking the mixture while stirring. After about 7 minutes take a little of the mixture and drop it into a bowl of ice cold water. If the mixture is able to hold itself together without sticking to your fingers it is done. If it still appears to be a little tacky continue cooking for a minute and then once again using the cold water method, check if it is done. The entire cooking process should take between 28-30 minutes.
As soon as the guava cheese is done, pour it into the prepared tray and using a spatula, smoothen the surface. Allow it to cool completely. - Cover the top with a plastic wrap touching the surface of the guava cheese and leave it aside to set. It should take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours in total for the guava cheese to cool and set.
- Once the guava cheese has set, take it out of the tray and place it on a cutting board. Cut into squares or diamonds.
