5 Ingredients or Fewer

Shortcut Coconut Fudge ( Thenga Therattipaal)

by:
March 18, 2015
4
2 Ratings
  • Serves 8-10
Author Notes

Delicious coconut infused condensed milk fudge made in the microwave.

Theratti-paal is sweetened reduced milk and is an amazing authentic South Indian sweet. It is one of my absolute favourites and the sweet I used to request my grandmother to make for my birthday. It is traditionally made by reducing milk on a stove top ( for hours) till the moisture almost dries out and it reaches a flaky, stringy consistency.

This recipe is a microwave hack which will get us the microwave version in about 15 mins flat. As much as I love this sweet, my husband always found it too sweet.

This coconut version of the milk fudge is my adaptation to reduce the sweetness and bring about some texture. It always makes an appearance at our house during festivals ( as in the picture) and of course my birthday. —Kris

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 can condensed milk 14 oz
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup milk divided
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom ( optional)
Directions
  1. Take a pan and on medium heat, toast the coconut on the stove.
  2. When it becomes light brown, add 1/2 cup of milk and let it cook for about 30 seconds and switch off the heat.
  3. Empty the entire can of condensed milk into a microwave safe bowl. Preferably a tall or large one as it will bubble a lot initially. I use my 2 quart measuring bowl. Add butter and 1/4 cup of milk and lightly stir to combine.
  4. Microwave the condensed milk mixture in the microwave for 3 minutes.Keep an eye on it and stop the microwave if it bubbles over. Stir and let it continue. Use an oven mitt to handle the bowl or stirring spoon.
  5. After the 3 -4 minutes, add the coconut to the condensed milk(add cardamom powder at this point) and microwave the entire mixture for 5 minutes. At any time if the mixture looks like its going to bubble over, stop the microwave, stir and let it resume.
  6. At the end of 8 minutes, the mixture should be thickened and getting flaky. At this point, I microwave it for a minute and take it out to stir.
  7. If you see it browning on the sides of the bowl , its almost done. Microwave it in 20-30 second intervals for about 2 more minutes and stop it if it is getting hard or burning.
  8. Transfer the mixture to parchment paper or a pan and cut it into square or roll it into balls
  9. Notes : 1. When you add the milk to the coconut, it will get absorbed but if it gets completely absorbed you can add another 1/4 cup of milk. It depends on the size of the coconut. You do not want too much or too less milk and the mixture to be goopy or mushy. 2. At any time if the mixture looks like its going to bubble over, stop the microwave, stir and let it resume. Use a glove or mitt as the bowl may be too hot to handle. 3. After it gets to the stage where it is rising but not bubbling over the bowl, you can let it cook but towards the end you do not want it to burn. 4. This mixture needs to be stirred on and off , it will help get the texture.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • LeBec Fin
    LeBec Fin
  • Kris
    Kris

2 Reviews

LeBec F. March 20, 2015
Good job! Love this but I would be much more comfortable making this on my gas stove. Do you have directions for that? Thx much.
 
Kris March 20, 2015
I have never tried this version on the stove top. The traditional stove top version involves starting with milk in a non stick pan and stewing it till it it reduces and adding sugar towards the end. This version can be done on a stove top with a non stick pan. But I am guessing that the texture will be softer. It wont become so stringy. The microwave does a better job at dehydrating the milk/condensed milk. I will try to make it over the weekend and update.