Coconut Burfi / Thengai Burfi - A Quick Diwali Sweet !!

Coconut Burfi is my hubbys fav and my MIL is an expert in making this, To me she makes the best burfis - perfect in texture and shape too. As diwali is nearing, I wanted to try this simple and tasty sweet with easy to get ingredients too. This is my first try, And I was warned by my mother many times when I tried to click the consistencies that If I miss the consistency the burfi would either be hard as brick or like halwa....but thank god I got it right :)

Ingredients:

• Coconut - 2 cups
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Cashews broken - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Cardomom powder - 1/2 tsp [optional]

Method:

1. First take wide bottomed pan(non-stick is preffered), add coconut and dry roast it till the moisture leaves and its dry enough, it takes just 3-4 mins taking care not to change the color of the coconut. Keep aside.



2. Now add lil ghee, roast the broken cashews and keep aside.Now in the same pan, add sugar and water mix well till sugar dissolves completely.



3. Keep stiring continuosly, cook till a single thick string consistency : If you take a drop between your thumb and index finger you can see a single string forming - thats the right consistency.



4. Add roasted coconut and remaining ghee at this stage and mix well. Simmer the stove and cook till bubbles ooze out as shown in the pic below: Sorry for the poor lighting, it was a night shot.
5. At this stage add cardomom powder, roasted cashews and mix well till it combines well. After 5-8mins after the bubbles ooze out, the mixture would be thick enough and comes off easily from the sides of the pan - Now its right time to turn off.



6. Immediately transfer to a ghee greased plate and flatten them using a spoon to make the top even. Allow it to cool for 30mins, then mark pieces and store in an airtight container.

My Notes :

• While scrapping the coconut take care not to scrap till the brown sides.If you like ur burfi to be very fine then grind the coconut once in mixie, but I prefer the orginal coarse texture so didnt do it. If you want your burfi to be pure snowy white, then roast the coconut just for few mins before the color changes.



• Testing the sugar syrup is not that difficult, First the sugar syrup becomes very sticky only then single string consistency is reached. If you are a first timer like me check it every now and then till the desired consistency is reached.



• After the roasted coconut is added and the desired stage is reached act very fast and transfer to the greased plate, else the burfis would become hard.



• Make sure you cool them completely, before marking pieces else its hard to get perfect squares.