Narkeler Sandesh : Indian Coconut Fudge |Sweet|

Autumn is the season of festivals in India. We just celebrated the Durga Puja and now looking forward to Diwali, the festival of lights. I love how people enjoy every festival in every possible way. New clothes, gifts and good food is must for every festival. These narkeler sandesh is thus the start of the festive spirit which I want to spread here, in my little space in my own little way.

Narkeler sandesh or coconut fudge are very popular in any Bengali home. These are prepared during the pujas and are offered to god as bhog. A must during the Lakshmi Puja. These may vary in shapes and sizes but the basic recipe remains more or less the same. They are called naru when the mixture is rolled into tiny balls. These naru may be prepared with sugar or molasses or gur. Some add milk, kheer or mawa to it and some don’t. Some shape the mixture to a square and name them burfi or tokti. Whatever the name or shape, they all taste equally great. Here I have shaped in a sandesh-mold so named it sandesh.

The recipe is simple but a little time taking while cooking the mixture. You have to continuously stir it or else the mixture may stick to the bottom and burn. While giving shape you have to do it while the mixture is still warm or else it will harden and you won’t be able to shape it.

These fudge or sandesh taste great. They are slightly soft and melts in your mouth. The cardamom and ghee in the recipe gives a unique flavor and smell that fills the kitchen while preparing

Tips:

While cooking the mixture it is very important to cook at medium to low heat and stir the mixture continuously or else the mixture might stick to the bottom and get burnt. If you do not have molds then you may roll the mixture in between two parchment paper and cut into circles with a cookie cutter. You may also keep it just simple and make balls out of it and garnish with chopped pistachios.

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NARKELER SANDESH

YIELD: 16-18
PREP: 15 mins
COOK: 20 mins
READY IN: 45 mins

These fudge or Narkeler sandesh taste great. They are slightly soft and melts in your mouth. The cardamom and ghee gives a unique flavor to the sweet. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups freshly grated coconut
4 tablespoons milk
2 cups grated mawa
1 1/2 cups sugar or to taste
4-5 pods green cardamoms coarsely powdered
2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
2-3 small decorative molds
2 tablespoons pistachios finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take the grated coconut in a blender jar and add the milk. Make a fine paste. Keep aside.
2. In a heavy bottom pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee at a medium flame. Add the coconut paste and the grated mawa. With a ladle, stir well and cook for 5-8 minutes. When the mixture looks a bit dry, add the sugar. Continue to stir while cooking the mixture. Keep the heat at medium to medium low. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the mixture has become thick and looks quite dry. The mixture should also start to leave from the sides of the pan. Add the coarsely ground cardamom powder.
3. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile grease the molds with ghee. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, make small balls and press against the mold. Carefully take the sandesh out of the mold and place on a greased plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Garnish with chopped pistachios.
4. Let the sandesh stand for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!