Coconut Burfi ( Naralachi Vadi )

This lusciously sweet coconut burfi is rich, creamy and soft in texture. This recipe is easy to make at home. You don’t need many ingredients – The basic are cream, coconut, milk & sugar. What makes this burfi stand out is the warm, nutty flavor it gets from the addition of nutmeg. Also, addition of saffron gives it a beautiful golden yellow color.

Coconut burfi also known as Naralachi vadi. It is a popular Maharashtrian dessert made on the occasion of Narali Pournima. The word naral means coconut which is offered to the sea God on the full moon day, thus the occasion is known as Narali Pournima. This easy dessert is also made on the occasion of Diwali & Ganpati.

Ingredients

• Coconut : I have used frozen grated coconut for this recipe. Freshly grated coconut works perfectly well too.
• Sugar: Make sure you add the specified quantity of sugar to the recipe. The bond between milk and sugar allows sugar to lock in the moisture so that the barfi is tender in texture.
• Milk & Cream: Milk helps bind the mixture together and maintains the moisture within the barfi. Addition of cream makes the barfi soft in texture.
• Milk Powder: Milk powder is nothing but milk in its concentrated form. Addition of it offers richness, sweetness and creaminess to the barfi.
• Cardamom Powder: Gives a beautiful aroma to this burfi.
• Nutmeg Powder : Gives a nutty, warm flavor to the burfi. Do not skip this ingredient as it gives this burfi aromatic deep flavor
• Saffron: I love the beautiful yellow color and flavor saffron gives to this recipe. You can totally skip it if you don’t have saffron in your pantry.

How to make a perfect coconut burfi:

• Preparing coconut: Firstly if you are using frozen grated coconut make sure you thaw it first. I simply break the portion I need and thaw it for 1.5 hours. If you don’t thaw the frozen coconut, the burfi will be limp in texture.
• Preparing Saffron: Use a mortar and pestle to crush the saffron threads. Alternatively use your hands to crush them. I like the more uniform look, hence I use mortar and pestle. This way saffron gives a beautiful color and flavor to the recipe.
• You can skip the addition of saffron if you want a white coconut barfi. To retain the white color make sure you cook the mixture on the low flame. Stir the mixture continuously to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Cooking on a medium low heat : This is the most important and key step. Cook the mixture on a medium low heat the entire time. Keep stirring continuously throughout the process to avoid burning of the mixture. It takes around 15 minutes for the mixture to thicken. The time may vary depending on the type and size of pan you use. Once the mixture is cooked, it releases fat from ghee, coconut, milk, cream and becomes a big mass.

How to store Coconut burfi :

Store the burfi in an air tight container upto 14 days. Before serving pull the barfi out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

Can I use desiccated coconut instead of fresh coconut:

Desiccated coconut is a great substitute for fresh one but not the best option for this recipe. What desiccated coconut lacks is sweetness which is there in fresh coconut.

Check out more Maharashtrian recipes from my website:

Tomato Saar

Masale Bhaat