Aluwa - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
14 1/2 ounces sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces butter or 4 ounces ghee
1 cup cooked mashed potatoes
1 cup cashew nuts, finely chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons rose water
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

Preparation

Put sugar, milk, condensed milk and ghee into a large heated saucepan (a non stick pan is excellent for this).
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches soft ball stage or 116\u00b0C (240\u00b0F) on a candy thermometer.
(To test for softball stage, drop a little into a cup of ice.cold water. If it firms enough to be moulded into a soft ball, it has reached the required temperature.).
Remove from heat, add smoothly mashed potato and beat with a rotary beater until all lumps are beaten out.
If using a pan with non stick lining, pour mixture into a bowl before doing this or the metal beaters will scratch the non stick surface.
Return to heat and cook to soft ball stage or 116\u00b0C (240\u00b0F) once more.
Remove from heat, stir in nuts, rose water and cardamom and mix well.
Pour into a well buttered shallow dish or baking tin.
Pres lightly with a piece of buttered banana leaf or aluminium foil to smooth and flatten the surface.
Allow to cool and set, then cut into diamond shapes.