চিনির নারকেল নাড়ু/Sweetened Coconut Confection

  

বাঙালীর নারকেল নাড়ু

Bengalis biggest festival  "Durgapuja" is tomorrow and sweetened coconut confection is one of the traditional offerings to Maa Durga. There are two ways to make this sweet as per preference. Some make with jaggery and some with sugar and milk. This confection is a staple to any Bengali house during Dugrapuja and Laksmipuja.

Usually it is made with freshly grated coconut. Due to our back and forth moving I had to give away my manual coconut grater. Since then I have been using frozen or dry coconut. It is much easier than traditional version!

All you need is~
1 16 oz package frozen grated coconut
1 cup bone char free sugar
1/8 cup coconut milk or coconut cream(in case naru gets too dry)
2-3 freshly ground cardamon pods
1 bay leaf
1 microwave safe glass bowl

Method~
First, thaw the coconut in the microwave or keep it in the refrigerator for couple of hours. Blend it to a smooth texture for 2-3 minutes. Transfer it to a microwavable bowl. Add in sugar and bay leaf. Mix it well. Microwave the coconut mixture for about 25 minutes on full power stirring every 5 minutes. It will be very watery in the beginning. After 25 minutes mixture will be very thick. It needs 15 or more minutes to make the mixture dry enough to form firm balls. So stir well every 2 minutes from now on. Make sure it doesn't burn. Don't make it too dry. Otherwise you can't make smooth balls out of it. In case it becomes dry add little coconut cream or coconut milk. Try to make a smooth round ball to check if it is done. Add ground cardamon at last. Mixture will be very hot. Let stand for 2 minutes to handle. Start making balls by rolling between your palms while still warm. They become crumbly and dry very quick so add some coconut milk. Store in the refrigerator for its freshness up to one week.

Happy Cooking!