coconut burfi recipe with step by step photos – an easy and tasty recipe of coconut barfi made with condensed milk for raksha bandhan. the coconut burfi had a melt in the mouth soft texture. you can also make coconut ladoos with the same mixture.
usually at home, for raksha bandhan we always make rice kheer or vermicelli kheer. this time for a change i made the coconut burfi today and also clicked the pics. these were easy to prepare. i did not have time to grate coconuts, so i have used desiccated coconut (dry coconut flakes).
generally freshly grated coconut makes better coconut burfi. so to still get better tasting barfi, i soaked the desiccated coconut in warm milk for about an hour. the coconut absorbs the milk and the texture does to some extent becomes like fresh coconut. when i prepare chutneys or gravies with desiccated coconut, i grind them in warm water or soak them in warm water for some minutes. i did not want to soak the coconut in water, hence i soaked them in milk.
if using fresh grated coconut, then no need to soak them in milk.
i did not add any dry fruits as we prefer just the coconut in the barfi. but you can add your choice of dry fruits or simply garnish the coconut barfi with dry fruits. few more similar recipes you can check are:
- coconut ladoo recipe (with condensed milk)
- nariyal ladoo recipe (with sugar syrup)
- 7 cup burfi
- kaju katli
- mysore pak
wishing all who celebrate a happy raksha bandhan festival.
coconut burfi
INGREDIENTS FOR coconut burfi
- 1 cup heaped unsweetened desiccated coconut
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk - i used nestle milkmaid
- 3 to 4 green cardamoms - crushed to powder in a mortar-pestle
- ½ teaspoon rose water (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- 2 to 3 teaspoon ghee
- 1 pinch of saffron - crushed OR 2 to 3 pinch of saffron powder (optional)
- 8 to 10 cashews - halved or chopped (optional)
HOW TO MAKE coconut burfi
preparation for coconut burfi
- warm the milk first in the microwave or stove top.
- in a bowl, take the desiccated coconut and mix warm milk with it.
- stir well. cover and keep aside for 1 hour. if using fresh coconut, then no need to soak in warm milk.
making coconut burfi
- heat ghee in a pan. add the milk soaked coconut. saute on a low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
- now add the condensed milk and stir. cook on a low flame stirring often.
- add sugar if you want. then add cardamom powder.
- continue to cook and stir. the coconut burfi mixture will thicken slowly.
- keep on stirring so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- ghee should start releasing from the sides of the mixture. you will see tiny drops of ghee. takes about 22 to 25 mins on a low flame.
- add rose water if using. stir.
setting coconut burfi
- then pour the coconut burfi mixture in a greased tray or thali. let it cool completely.
- sprinkle saffron powder or press some cashews on the top.
- slice the coconut burfi and then serve.
- coconut burfi can also be refrigerated. it stay good for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.
how to make coconut burfi
1. take ¾ cup warm milk in a bowl. mix 1 heaped cup unsweetened desiccated coconut with the warm milk. stir well and keep covered for an hour. if using fresh coconut, then no need to soak.
2. heat 2 to 3 tsp ghee in a pan.
3. add the milk soaked coconut and stir well. saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
4. now pour ¾ cup condensed milk.
5. stir and mix well.
6. add 1 tbsp sugar and stir. optional step. you can skip the sugar completely.
7. then add cardamom powder (3 to 4 cardamoms, crushed to powder in a mortar-pestle).
8. stir and continue to cook the coconut burfi mixture.
9. the mixture would reduce and begun to loose its moisture. continue to stir, so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
10. continue to cook and stir till you see ghee releasing from the sides. takes about 22 to 25 mins on a low flame.
setting coconut burfi
11. now add the coconut burfi mixture in a greased thali or tray. here i used a baking pan and managed to get more than half of the pan covered with the coconut burfi. spread it evenly with a spatula keeping ½ to 1 inch of height.
12. you can sprinkle a pinch of crushed or powdered saffron on top of the coconut burfi. you can also top the coconut barfi with 8-10 halved or chopped cashews or raisins.
13. once the coconut burfi has cooled completely, then slice it into squares or diamond shapes.
14. serve coconut burfi. they can also be refrigerated and they stay good for 1 to 2 days.
so grateful for your wonderful recipes. I have tried many, and all have been so good. I am wondering — is there any possible substitute for condensed milk for this and other sweets recipes? Or some way to “condense” milk at home? I don’t like to used the canned commercial products. Thanks.
thanks ujeli. condensed milk can be made at home. this is the method which a reader had shared:
take 1 litre whole milk, 350 grams sugar, 1 pinch baking soda in a heavy pan. mix well and cook on medium to medium-high flame for 35 min with non-stop stirring. it can be stored 4 to 5 month in the fridge.
instead of condensed milk you can use khoya or mawa. making khoya at home takes a lot of time. so you can make instant khoya with milk powder. when buying milk powder you can check for any preservatives used or not.
instant khoya recipe link here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/instant-khoya-recipe/
Can I freeze after making it? Coconut burfi’s life is so short and I need to make it in advance as per my schedule. Plz suggest.
yes you can freeze coconut burfi.
yummy !
thanks ragwa
thats very sad to see u r deleting the app. it was soo useful and handy
anu, the website will be working and it is the exact replica of app.
Can I use frozen coconut?
you can use frozen coconut, but thaw it first and then use.
Hey should I use freshly grated wet coconut or dried coconut?
you can use either.
hi,
lovely recipe
Can we use oil instead of ghee. Have posted question many times but cant see it anywhere
Rozina, ghee will be needed. it will be difficult to set the barfi with oil.
Rozina, in that case i suggest you check this coconut ladoo recipe and instead of coconut ladoo, make coconut barfi. https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/coconut-ladoo-festival-recipes/
can i use dry coconut for this recipe?
Aafrin, yes you can use
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for this recipe. I have few questions, if I m using desiccated coconut like grinding, frying n again grinding do I need to soak it in milk again? I am confused when u say fresh coconut, do u mean freshly grated/grinded coconut or do u mean freshly desiccated cocunut? Thanks
mani, i have used desiccated coconut which is store brought. the texture is fine. if you grate coconut from a dry coconut shell, then just pulse the coconut till you get sooji or rava like texture in it. then soak this ground coconut in milk. then proceed with the recipe.
if you want to make barfi with fresh grated coconut, then you can check the recipe of coconut ladoo. instead of preparing ladoos, just press the mixture in a tray. once cooled, then slice. here is the recipe link – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/coconut-ladoo-recipe-with-condensed-milk/
Thanks so much for your quick response. I checked how to desiccate the coconut and did that at home (grind, roast, grind) and used it directly without soaking in milk. The barfi turned out really well, all credit goes to you. Your recipes are sure shot success in cooking and make me feel more like a woman now that i know how to cook:)
Can i put little bit chocolate/cocoa in this mixture to make chocolate barfi?
Mani, glad to know this. yes you can put chocolate/cocoa.
Before I started making this I used to buy bounty chocolate bars for my coconut Confectionery hit. This recipe is so easy and tasty Mars Inc. better watch out.
rohit, yours is one of the best comment on this recipe. glad to know that you liked it a lot 🙂
dear amit dassana I like your app. it is really helpful especially the photos and the correct description. i tried your dhokla and it came out nicely. please continue with your good recepies like this.
thanks so much geetha for positive views 🙂