Coconut Burfi with Jaggery

Posted on by Anushruti
Coconut Burfi with Jaggery

"Why don’t you put this up on divinetaste?"  asked my very enthusiastic mother as she stirred a batch of coconut and jaggery mixture from the coconuts used in the rituals of my son’s naming ceremony.

I have been on the look out for a good coconut burfi recipe. I was not at all satisfied with a couple of recipes I had tried before. I was a bit skeptical about it when I learned that “amma” had used jaggery instead of white sugar. Coconut burfi is traditionally made with refined white sugar. The creamy whiteness of the grated coconut coupled with the white sugar is quite a pleasing sight apart from being a tasty treat.

I’m a huge fan of jaggery and would happily replace it with refined white sugar wherever possible. Rich in nutrients and with a wholesome taste, it holds an esteemed position in my books. But I find that jaggery cannot make the cut in certain recipes. Luckily for me, it does great wonders here and my search for a good coconut burfi recipe is over.

I’m biting into a piece, as I write this and besides being a healthier version of the traditional version, I love the sweetness coming from the jaggery instead of from regular sugar. Using just two ingredients, coconut and jaggery it makes a nutritious and tasty treat.

Coconut Burfi/ Coconut Squares Recipe

You can shape the coconut mixture into balls to make laddus or cut them into diamonds to make a different shaped barfi.

Ingredients:

2 cups grated fresh coconut
1 cup jaggery, crumbled

1 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

Place the grated coconut in a blender or food processor and process until finely ground. In a medium sized wok or kadhai, place the coconut and jaggery mixture on a medium low flame and cook until the entire mixture comes together or starts to leave the sides of the utensil, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the cardamom powder.

Spread on a plate and cut into squares.  Decorate with cashewnuts or any other nut of your choice.

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53 thoughts on “Coconut Burfi with Jaggery”

  5. Looks so pretty. My mother used to make this often with jaggery especially when we had lots of coconuts at home. She also adds sesame and cardamom. Tastes divine 🙂

  7. Red chillies: My mother adds cardamom powder too and I prefer it with it. Adding sesame seeds seems an interesting variation. Will try it next time I make this.

    Arundati: Nice to have you over too.

  8. In bengal, jaggery & white sugar, both are used, but my favorite is the one with gur. & yes we do add the cardamom powder. we are more used to the laddu shape & this is a big time favorite with my & hubby. I am yet to make this at home, feel a little apprehensive that i burn the jaggery. it is time i give this a try instead of waiting to get it transported from india.

  10. Hi, Did you use dry or wet coconut? I get both varieties in the store here. (A) Dried unsweetened shredded coconut and (B) Wet sweetened shredded coconut.

    Also, does the coconut/jaggery mixture become sticky once you cook it? Do I have to let the mixture sit in a pan for a while before I cut it? Sorry, for asking so many questions. I'm going to attempt making it this weekend. Thanks 🙂

  11. pintobean: I used freshly grated coconut (not dry). Dont you get fresh unsweetened coconut? You can use dried coconut too, but make sure it is not sweetened already since there is additional sweet in the form of jaggery in this recipe.

    Since I used jaggery instead of sugar it is not very sticky. Spread the mixture on the plate when it is still hot. Once spread allow to cool, anytime between 15 minutes to half an hour and then cut into pieces. I hope you enjoy making and eating them.

  12. Thanks Anushruti, for the prompt reply :). I haven't seen fresh coconut in the store close to me. The unsweetened shredded coconut I get in the store (I have used it for another recipe before) is available in bins here next to nuts, rice, oats etc. I'm sure some stores carry it but I have no idea. Do you recommend using any oil or something? Since the coconut I am using is not wet enough as it is not fresh. Or just jaggery and coconut should be enough.

    Also, if I decide to use sugar, do I melt the sugar beforehand and then mix it with coconut and cook it? Or cook the sugar and coconut together?

    Thank you 🙂

  13. pintobean: I havent tested this recipe with dry coconut so I cannot talk about the results with much clarity. Dry coconut when cooked releases oil so there is usually no need to add oil.

    Recipes that use sugar vary and have both methods i.e melting the sugar before hand and cooking with the coconut. Although sugar tastes great I prefer using jaggery.

  15. we have almost similar barfi made at home during diwali..with milk,fresh coconut and sugar..becomes more like a coconut fudge..tastes divine..i'd love to try out your version..i guess it's healthier with jaggery..

  16. devina: If you are used to the sugar version you will be pleasantly surprised to taste the jaggery version, I assure you.

  17. I had tried to do this recipe.. but could not the get the burfi hardness i am not able to understand why…!

  18. Any idea about calorific values of jaggery? Say one tsp of sugar= x calories, then 1tbsp= how many calories?

  19. Kaylon: This is a soft set burfi, not at all hard in consistency.

    Simi: Sugar has empty calories whereas jaggery is a nutrient rich natural sweetener. Jaggery is a wholesome unrefined sugar rich in iron, magnesium and potassium.

    Jaggery contains 28 grams per kilo of mineral salts, while only 300 milligrams per kilogram is found in refined sugar.

    More information on Jaggery here and here.

  20. Hi Anushruti,

    I too love the coconut burfi traditionally made with sugar. But I would certainly love to make them with jaggery as m also a huge fan of both coconut and jaggery. They look delicious. I would be trying them ASAP. We are currently posted at korykond in AP, and have abundant coconut and mago trees around. So I have to try making these burfis.
    One very good thing about your recipes is they give they have precise and clear measurements in gms, lts etc which leaves no chance for anyone getting the recipe wrong in anyways. Cheers for this.

    Nisha.
    God Bless.

  21. Do we need to take off the black thick skin of fresh coconut and use only the white part ? or do we grind the whole coconut instead ?

  23. Hi Anushruti,

    I made the recipe but it did not come as perfect squares. I followed the exact recipe, i allowed it to cool for 30 min, then i cut but it was not as dry and perfectly shaped as yours, what would have gone wrong? I stirred the mixture till it came as one full mass.

    Thanks,
    Mala

  24. Hi anu,
    I tried these burfis today. They turned out to be delicious, but do not seem to hold shape-did I undercook them? Thanks.

  25. rkc: These are soft set burfis and if you are looking for that hardness which comes with burfis made with white sugar then you wont find it here.

  26. Hi anushruti. I tried this burfi and it was yummy. All liked it. Please post more than one recipe evrymnth as I'm eagerly waitning for new recipes specialy sumthing for diwali

  28. ruchika: Will surely keep your request in mind. I post 3 to 4 recipes every month. Used to post more but now its a little difficult but I try to do a minimum of 4 posts most of the time.

  29. Which jaggery do you recommend for this burfi? I prefer the dark coloured palm jaggery, but I only have the lighter yellow one at hand right now. Would it come right with the yellow jaggery?

  30. Hi Anushruthi,

    I simly love your blog. I think burfi tastes still good without grinding the coconut.

    Enheltira?

  32. I love this because it is made of Jaggery ! I prefer Jaggery bcaz of vitamins & minerals. Thanks for the wonderful recipe

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  34. Can one use the hand grated coconut? The difference iss that in the blender one you still get the brown skin of the coconut whereas in the hand grated one only the white of the coconut is used.

    Can you also post some pics of the cooking process. That will give a better idea.

  36. […] 7. Coconut Burfi – Now for something deliciously sweet and full of coconut-y goodness! This tempting dessert only has three ingredients – fresh coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder – and is so quick and easy to make. Packed full of vitamins and minerals, coconuts are one of the best dessert flavor options out there because of their huge amount of health benefits. In fact, populations that eat a large amount of coconuts are some of the healthiest people in the world. We particularly loved the author’s substitute of jaggery instead of refined white sugar, which is used in the traditional burfi recipe. However, if you can’t find jaggery where you live or don’t eat sugar, you can substitute it with a sweetener of your choice. […]

  37. […] 7. Coconut Burfi – Now for something deliciously sweet and full of coconut-y goodness! This tempting dessert only has three ingredients – fresh coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder – and is so quick and easy to make. Packed full of vitamins and minerals, coconuts are one of the best dessert flavor options out there because of their huge amount of health benefits. In fact, populations that eat a large amount of coconuts are some of the healthiest people in the world. We particularly loved the author’s substitute of jaggery instead of refined white sugar, which is used in the traditional burfi recipe. However, if you can’t find jaggery where you live or don’t eat sugar, you can substitute it with a sweetener of your choice. […]

  38. Hi Anu,

    Love your website and your recipes.
    Very refined and elegant. You are too.
    Is this sweet similar to Poornam? we make it for modakams and Poli stuffing.
    When I saw this post, I was reminded of the Poornam that we make during Ganesh Chaturthi festival etc. Poornam can't hold its shape unless we roll it in a ball.
    Since you had cut it in squares, I was wondering. I am like you too, I love jaggery. Coconut and jaggery is my version of heaven.

    thanks for this one

    Take care,
    mona

  40. Hari Bol Dhi

    Can this be made with dessicated coconut purchased from a store….

    PS….LOVE your website.

  44. Dear Anushruti, I have often made this barfi for my ten year old daughter, since I found your helpful recipe. Recently, my mother in law brought sattu from Jamshedpur, so I added a few tablespoons of sattu to the mix, and personally, I love the taste…it also serves to reduce the sweetness. Also, since my daughter is eating it, I add a few teaspoons of homemade ghee to the mix. The barfi makes her go 'Mmmmmm….', and she wants it every day. (I used Sanjivani ghee this time, as homemade ghee is running out.)
    A grateful follower of your satvik recipes, Anjali

  46. […] 7.  coco Burfi  – Ahora algo deliciosamente dulce y llena de coco-y bondad! Este postre tentador solamente tiene tres ingredientes – fresca de coco, azúcar moreno y el cardamomo en polvo – y es tan rápido y fácil de hacer. Lleno de vitaminas y minerales, los cocos son una de las mejores opciones de sabor dulce por ahí debido a su gran cantidad de beneficios para la salud . De hecho, las poblaciones que consumen una gran cantidad de cocos son algunas de las personas más saludables del mundo. En especial nos encantó el sustituto del autor de azúcar moreno en lugar de azúcar blanco refinado, que se utiliza en la receta tradicional burfi. Sin embargo, si usted no puede encontrar azúcar moreno donde vive o no come azúcar, se puede sustituir con un edulcorante de su elección. […]

  48. Adding jaggery with coconut is the best ingredient for this sweet. I love this dish easy to made and healthy too. For a healthy lifestyle today mostly people switch to 100% natural and chemical-free product like jaggery.

  49. Hi Anushruti.
    Thanks very much for the wonderful recepie. As I am also trying to avoid the refined sugar in my diet. Just wonder to know, don't we have to use ghee in this? The oil from coconut and melting of jaggery would itself form the binding?
    Can you please advise?
    Thank you.

  52. […] these modaks than firm, chewy burfees. Delicious but not what I was going for. Then I saw this Divine Taste recipe which had literally two ingredients, if you don't count cardamom and it seemed so […]

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