Soft, flavorful and melt-in Coconut balls without condensed milk or khoya is a sweet dish from West Bengal part of India and is made from coconut, milk, and sugar or jaggery. Traditionally, this sweet is prepared during festive occasions like Rakhi or Janamashtami.In this recipe, simple ingredients like milk , sugar and cardamom powder have been used as in the traditional recipe. However, the secret ingredient that enhances the flavor of this soft and delicious coconut ball is Star Anise ( also known as Chakra Phool in Hindi).
1/2star anisecrushed and ground or use 1/4 tsp of nutmeg powder
2.5tablespoonghee or clarified butter
20walnuts or cashews and raisinsas desired
Instructions
Add milk into a saucepan. Bring milk to boil and let it simmer till it reduces to half.
In the meantime, heat a teaspoon of ghee in another frying pan. Add nuts(walnuts or cashews) and roast on low heat till golden.Set them aside.
To the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons ghee. When the ghee is hot, add the grated coconut. Stir and saute on low medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
Now add sugar into the coconut mixture. Stir and mix well. Saute on low to medium heat for another 10-15 minutes. The purpose is that the coconut loses its moisture.
Take care not to burn the coconut. To avoid this, stir and mix the ingredients frequently.
Now add the milk into the coconut mixture. Cook in low medium heat, stirring constantly until all the moisture evaporates completely. When the mixture thickens, add cardamom powder, star anise powder and chopped nuts. Mix well.
It is important not to overcook the mixture. As soon as the coconut mixture becomes sticky and a mass pulls away from the pan, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly(around 10 minutes) at room temperature.
When still warm to touch, make small balls by rolling the mixture between your palms. The ladoos will dry up and become firm once completely cooled.
Serve the ladoos immediately or you can store them in a refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Notes
Following are some of the tips you may like to read before trying out the recipe :
Though the taste of freshly grated coconut is best, but this recipe works well even with ready made coconut powder.
Sometimes people complain that the coconut ladoos become hard on cooling. The reason is that the mixture was overcooked. The coconut mixture should be taken off the heat once it starts to come together, becomes sticky and a mass pulls away from the pan without leaving any liquid drops.
The coconut balls should be shaped while they are still warm. It is difficult to shape the coconut ladoos, if they cool completely.
Lastly, but not the least, though the recipe is very simple and easy to make, it does require a bit of patience and concentration in every step of the process. A simple mistake like slight burning of coconut mixture or overcooking the mixture, or adding the cardamom and star anise very early in cooking, makes a world of difference in the texture and taste of the final coconut ladoos.