Guava Cheese (Perad)



Ingredients :
Guavas 12-14 nos.
Sugar (weigh the pulp and equal measure)
Salt a pinch
5 Limes
125 gms Butter
1 cup Water

Preparation :
Steam for 8-10 minutes or until soft, a dozen big guavas cut in fours, along with a cup of water.
Cool and scoop out the seeds and discard them.
Pulp the guava along with the water in a blender.
Measure a kg of the pulp & take equal quantity of sugar.
(To get a kg of the pulp u’ll need approx 12-14 slightly big guavas).
Put the pulp in a thick-bottomed vessel along with the equal quantity of sugar, juice of 5 limes and a pinch of salt.
Boil the mixture on a slow flame stirring every now and then to prevent it from sticking to the base.
When nearly thick, add 125 gm of butter.
Increase the heat and boil, stirring vigorously – till it comes away from the sides of the vessel and forms a mass.

To test if done, drop a little bit of the mixture into a bowl of water. If the water remains clear without turning cloudy and mixture forms a soft ball when rolled, the guava cheese is done. Quickly pour the mixture into a greased shallow tray. Spread evenly. Cool and cut into shapes.