Coconut Burfi / Kobbari Burfi / Kobbari Mithai / Kaayi Burfi

So far in this series,
Malaadu / Hurigadale Unde
Dry Gulab Jamun

I have a big weakness for Indian sweets and I also happen to love coconut. And so here is coconut burfi, which my mother considers to be my most favorite sweets of all. It doesn't mean that I have no other favorites but among the lot that my mother prepares, I seemed to like it more while growing up. My sister grudgingly would remind her to prepare her favorite burfi too, whenever my mother prepared coconut one. Carrot burfi was and still is her favorite and my mother tells me that whenever she makes coconut burfi nowadays, my sister seems to remind her that she has got the wrong daughter 😉 and she needs to wait until my visit.  

I get to taste coconut burfi whenever I visit home in the recent years. In spite of reminders that I can cook almost anything I want these days, my mother wouldn't let us go without preparing each one of our favorite dishes. And coming to myself, I think I am making these burfis for the second time in my 20 plus married years. I kinda use coconut very sparingly and rarely make any coconut based dishes in my home, considering my husband's affinity towards coconut.😞 

South Indian style coconut burfi preparation doesn't need any fancy ingredients. It basically uses three ingredients - fresh coconut, sugar and cardamom. And a small amount of water if you have to consider it as well. The only skills needed for this burfi preparation are grating and stirring. If grating coconut is not for you, then use a good quality frozen section shredded coconut like I did. Just take care that the coconut is smelling and tasting good.  

All the ingredients are added to a thick pan and are cooked, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan and a thick mass is formed. In case one fails to set the mixture, they can be rolled into small balls / laddus and can be enjoyed. Just wait to roll into balls until they are warm enough to handle with bare hands. It tastes the same albeit in a different shape. It makes a great treat for for Indian festivals like Diwali.


This burfi always has a place among the assortment of sweets my mother prepares for 'Varalakshmi Vratham'. My mother sticks to this basic recipe but some happen to add milk, condensed milk, cream or khoya to the preparation. Some add nuts or safforn to garnish. One of my aunt adds chickpea flour as well to the coconut mixture at the end and the resulting burfi comes across as a cross between coconut burfi and mysore pak and it tastes awesome as well. 

Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2.5 cups / 300 gm / 11 oz shredded fresh coconut (I used frozen coconut.)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cardamom pods / 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

Directions:
* Grease a round or square shaped plate, with one inch depth and keep it aside.
* Scrape the coconut if using a coconut or use shredded coconut from the freezer section. Thaw the frozen coconut if necessary. If needs to be thawed quickly, transfer the coconut to a microwave safe bowl and heat it for a couple of minutes.

* Add sugar and (just enough) water to cover it in a non stick or a thick bottomed pan / pot. Add coconut and mix well and start cooking the mixture on medium flame, stirring frequently.

* The mixture becomes loose initially and goes on becoming thicker as it is being cooked. Add the ground cardamom and mix well, about 15 minutes into cooking.

* Lower the heat and continue cooking, stirring frequently. 

 * When the mixture starts leaving the pan and comes together, it is an indication that the burfi is cooked. One can specially notice it when not using a non stick pan to cook the burfi. I used a non stick pan and it took me almost 40 to 45 minutes to make the burfi.

* If not sure whether the coconut mixture has cooked or not to burfi stage, put a small spoon sized portion of the mixture on a greased plate and check after a couple of minutes. If it is done, the coconut mixture sets by hardening slightly. If has not set, it means that coconut mixture needs further cooking.
* Transfer the cooked mixture onto the greased plate and spread it  evenly using a greased spatula. (I did not take pictures for this step.)
* While the mixture is still slightly warm, score lightly with a knife vertical lines, spacing them 1.5 to 2 inches apart. And horizontal lines in a similar fashion.
* When the mixture has cooled completely, again run the knife along the lines and cut them into pieces. Store them in  airtight container.
* The coconut burfis stay fresh for a few days even left on the counter. Refrigerate for storing them longer.

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