Coconut… -

This amazing nut, the king of all nuts, but oh so versatile. Millions of recipes are based on coconut, from the humble chutney to delicate payasams, all over coastal India right up to South East Asia. Be it savoury or sweet, coconut is a must in many forms.

But one memory stands out clear. The coconut mithai made out of desiccated coconut. As children, when we lived in Agarwal Colony, there was this lovely old couple in our building, the Sakhranis, who had a daughter living in Sri Lanka, and she used to send desiccated coconut from there. Aunty Sakhrani always sent it to my mom and requested her to make the barfi, and always very kindly told her to keep half of it. Mom made this barfi with only sugar made into chasni and the coconut with some kesar, and the amazing fragrance of saffron chasni simmering on the stove was divine, and so was the barfi. It made me a lifelong fan of anything to do with coconut.

The credit for this recipe partly goes to a close friend, whose basic recipe has been given a twist by me. Do try it out. Its simplicity is the secret behind this yummy mithai.

Coconut Barfi

Ingredients

100 gms unsalted butter
1 can condensed milk
125 to 150 gms desiccated coconut, depending on the quality
65 ml thick coconut cream
Few drops rose essence

Method

Heat the butter in a non-stick pan.
Combine
- coconut cream and
- condensed milk,
  then add this mixture to the melted butter.
Heat through gently.
Add the desiccated coconut, first adding 125 gms and mixing well.
If the mixture is too runny, add the remaining coconut as required.
Stir on a low flame for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Add a few drops of rose essence and pour onto a greased tray or individual small bowls.
Cover with varkh or a few sliced pistachio nuts and enjoy.