Gurer Narkol Naru/ Coconut Confection with Jaggery

My house smells divine. The earthy smell of jaggery fills up the entire house while getting slowly cooked with coconut. It's the time of the year Bengali households are busy preparing Naru for the greatest festival "Durga pooja" also known as Sharodshav that falls on Autumn during the month of either late September or early to mid October. Goddess Durga symbolizes divine forces(positive energy) against the negative forces of evil.

2015 Bay Area Shobar Poojo 

The ritual is observed for ten days but last four days especially in West Bengal, other places of India and abroad Durga pooja is celebrated in a grand way. Ma Durga and her four children, Laxmi, Shraswati, Kartik and Ganesh are worshipped on Mahasaptami, Mahastomi, Mahanabomi and Mahadoshomi days. Devotees dress up with nice clothes and go to the pooja pandel to worship and pray offering special treats with gaiety and devotion.

 Narkol Naru is a signature offering to Ma Durga and an integral part of Bengali culture. There are two types of Naru, one is made of white sugar and other one is made of jaggery. In my parents house Gurer Naru was a must. It brings back my childhood memories. It was our family ritual and we all took part to make this delicacy.

My father and brother would buy the best quality coconuts from local markets. After cutting in half my ma, big sister and I would take turns to grate coconuts with a traditional Bengali grater "Narkolkurni". 

It's about 12 inches medium thick metal base with two stands that has a curves flat round top with serrated teeth. The person has to sit on the floor folding one leg on the base and other one stretched. Then coconut half is placed on the grater by holding with both hands and very carefully flesh is scraped by pushing up and down.

Every year I make either Chinir Narkol Naru or  Gurer Naru. It's easy to use frozen coconut but this time after a long time I have patiently grated with narkolkurni that I brought from my last India trip. It takes about half an hour to grate a big coconut. I have used dark brown jaggery for its depth of flavor. But any type of jaggery can be used as well.

Ingredients~
3 cups firmly packed freshly grated coconut
2 cups firmly packed dark brown jaggery powder
2 tbsp water 

Time required~
30 minutes to grate the coconut
25 minutes to cook
10 minutes to roll 

Cooking level~
Easy

Yields~ 
24 pieces

Method~ 
Take a heavy bottomed pan and mix coconut,water and jaggery powder together. If you are using frozen coconut adjust sweetener accordingly. On a low flame cook the mixer stirring continuously for about 25 minutes. When it becomes sticky and dry enough to form a ball turn off the flame. Wait for a few minutes. Start forming round balls between your two palms while still warm. If it get dry sprinkle warm water and mix well. Let them cool completely and serve at room temperature. Happy Durga Pooja!!