Coconut Burfi
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24 pieces
 
Coconut burfi is one of the most popular Indian sweets around festival time. Get the fast and easy recipe to make perfectly-set coconut burfi every time.
You will need:
  • Finely grated coconut - 3 cups, somewhat firmly packed (around 400 gm)
  • Fine granulated sugar - 2 cups
  • Sweetened condensed milk - ¼ cup
  • Cardamom powder - ½ tsp
  • Saffron - a big pinch, crushed
  • Cashew nuts - 10-12, coarsely powdered
  • Ghee - 1 tbsp, plus a little extra for greasing
How to:
  1. Grease a 10" round plate or pan with a few drops of ghee and set aside.
  2. Take a large, deep, thick-bottomed pan. Add coconut, sugar and condensed milk to the pan and start cooking on medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
  3. In a few minutes, the sugar will begin to dissolve. Add saffron, cardamom and powdered cashew nuts and mix well.
  4. Stirring constantly, let the sugar dissolve completely, then turn into a thick syrup-like liquid. Keep stirring to allow the mass to thicken into a fudge-like consistency.
  5. When the coconut burfi is almost done, the mixture will start leaving the sides of the pan and you will also see foamy bubbles rise from it. Add a tablespoon of ghee and mix well.
  6. Immediately, pour this hot mixture into the greased plate and spread it to about half an inch thickness with a greased offset spatula or long knife.
  7. After a couple of minutes, while the mixture is still quite warm, use a greased knife or pizza cutter to cut it into smaller pieces (either square, rectangle or diamond shaped pieces).
  8. Cool it completely, remove the individual pieces and store them in an airtight container.
Notes:
1. Using a large pan will allow the coconut mixture to cook faster and evenly, giving you better results.
2. I use fine granulated sugar here in the US, so a cup of it will be volumetrically more than the coarse granules commonly used in India. If using coarse sugar, use a 1:1 ratio for coconut and sugar.
3. Stir the coconut burfi mixture constantly and remove from heat as soon as you see the foamy bubbles rising from it to prevent browning or burning the mixture.
4. Leave the cashew nuts out if you do not want to use nuts.
5. Add a few drops of desired food coloring to make colored coconut burfi. For pure white-colored coconut burfi, make sure to use only the white fleshy parts of a fresh coconut. I have thawed and used frozen grated coconut, hence the pale cream color for my burfi.
Recipe by At The Corner of Happy And Harried at https://www.happyandharried.com/2017/10/16/coconut-burfi-indian-coconut-fudge/