Gundar Pak (Edible Gum Fudge)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Mawa (Khoya) (Use firm/hard mawa. Originally '2 seers' (scaled down for modern home cooking).)
• 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar (Originally '1.5 seers'.)
• 2 cups Ghee (Used primarily for deep frying the gum. Only about 3-4 tablespoons will be used in the final fudge mixture.)
• 1/2 cup Edible gum (Gond) (Use 'Malai Gundar' or standard edible gum crystals.)
• 1/4 cup Almonds (Blanched and peeled.)
• 1/4 cup Pistachios (Blanched and peeled.)
• 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Originally '3 tolas' (scaled down).)
• 1/4 teaspoon Saffron strands (Originally '5 val'.)
• 4 teaspoons Cold water (For grinding saffron.)

Instructions

1. 1In a small mortar, grind the saffron strands with the cold water until a fine paste or liquid is formed. Blanch and peel the almonds and pistachios. Place them in a cloth and rub to ensure all skins are removed, then slice or crush them finely.
2. 2Divide the edible gum into three equal parts. In a clean kadai (wok) or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the ghee over medium heat. Fry each part of the gum separately until the crystals puff up completely and turn white. Remove the fried gum with a slotted spoon and place it into a metal tray (thali). While still warm, crush the fried gum into coarse pieces using the flat bottom of a metal bowl or cup.
3. 3Carefully pour all the ghee out of the kadai (reserve it). In the now-empty kadai, add the mawa and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and combines thoroughly with the mawa. Once the mixture is uniform, add about 3 to 4 tablespoons (approx. 1/8 seer or 'navtank' in original ratio) of the reserved hot ghee back into the pan. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens.
4. 4Once the mawa mixture has thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add the crushed gum, prepared nuts, saffron paste, and cardamom powder. Stir vigorously with a spoon for about 5 minutes to ensure everything is well incorporated and the mixture becomes cohesive.
5. 5Grease a metal tray or thali with a little ghee. Pour the mixture into the tray and flatten it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Let it set at room temperature for 5 to 7 hours. Once firm, cut into diamond shapes and carefully remove the pieces using a flat spatula.