My Mom and I were discussing various recipes that are made during the festive season and one of my favorites is coconut burfi or naral barfi. I told her I was planning to make that sometime soon and she suggested that I try adding some beetroot to make it colorful. I loved the idea and I decided to try it with golden beetroots. The end result was beautiful. The barfi turned out to absolutely golden and it tastes great. And I feel less guilty eating it because I know I am also eating a vegetable. This is a beautiful, delicious and healthier variation to the coconut barfi.
The recipe for the coconut barfi can be found here.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh coconut - grated/scraped (if using frozen, thaw it)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup beetroot - cooked and grated (see details in method)
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
Method
Cook the beetroot and then grate it. I usually do it in a pressure cooker
Heat the beetroot, coconut and sugar in a pan. Stir it and then add the milk. The sugar will melt and turn into syrup. As the mixture starts to thicken, add the cardamom powder. Stir frequently so that the mixture doesn't burn. Heat this mixture, till it is thick enough, so that when you move a spoon through it, you can see the base of the pan and till the mixture comes together. In the meanwhile, grease a tin or dish with some ghee or butter. Then pour the mixture in a greased pan. Use a spatula to spread this or you can use the base of a small bowl. Grease the base of the bowl with some ghee, so that the coconut mixture doesn't stick to the base. Once it has cooled down a little and is warm to touch, cut it into small squares. Once it has completely cooled down, you can separate the squares. Store it in the fridge.
The recipe for the coconut barfi can be found here.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh coconut - grated/scraped (if using frozen, thaw it)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup beetroot - cooked and grated (see details in method)
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
Method
Cook the beetroot and then grate it. I usually do it in a pressure cooker
Heat the beetroot, coconut and sugar in a pan. Stir it and then add the milk. The sugar will melt and turn into syrup. As the mixture starts to thicken, add the cardamom powder. Stir frequently so that the mixture doesn't burn. Heat this mixture, till it is thick enough, so that when you move a spoon through it, you can see the base of the pan and till the mixture comes together. In the meanwhile, grease a tin or dish with some ghee or butter. Then pour the mixture in a greased pan. Use a spatula to spread this or you can use the base of a small bowl. Grease the base of the bowl with some ghee, so that the coconut mixture doesn't stick to the base. Once it has cooled down a little and is warm to touch, cut it into small squares. Once it has completely cooled down, you can separate the squares. Store it in the fridge.
Tips
You can scrape/grate a coconut and freeze this in an airtight bag/box for about 6-8 weeks. After you scrape the coconut, heat it for a minute in the microwave or on the stove till you can smell the coconut aroma. Then cool it and freeze it. This helps preserve the coconut for a longer period.
When you cook the beetroot in the pressure cooker, just wash it and place it in the cooker. Remove the top and the root end and peel it after it is cooked.
If you use red beetroot (which I plan to use the next time), you will get a beautiful pink color.
When you cook the beetroot in the pressure cooker, just wash it and place it in the cooker. Remove the top and the root end and peel it after it is cooked.
If you use red beetroot (which I plan to use the next time), you will get a beautiful pink color.
