Bengali Narkel Naru Recipe

Today I'm bringing you an unusual dessert, actually, from Bengal. It is Narkel Naru, or, in other words, little balls made with coconut, milk, sugar, and cardamom. Narkel Naru are a must-have during any puja, a religious ritual to worship one or more deities as well as to celebrate a spiritual event especially during the Kojagari Lakshmi Puja.

Narkel Naru isn't just made for different holidays, but is a sweet treat that can be made at any time of year. Making this sweet used to take several days because, on the one hand, the coconut had to be cut and then grated—which made the kitchen smell of coconut and, on the other hand, it contains an ingredient called khoya or mawa, which is cooked from whole milk and is very slow to prepare. Nowadays, both grated coconut and mawa are available in any shop, so the preparation time has been cut by more than half.

Coconut, with its irresistible sweetness and versatility, becomes the star of the Narkel Naru. In every bite, the tropical flavors evoke memories of family gatherings and shared moments. Without a doubt, coconut not only sweetens the festivities, but also unites hearts and creates lasting memories at every celebration.

We now show the process of preparation.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

125 g grated coconut
200 g sugar
300 ml whole milk
100 ml condensed milk
10 cardamom seeds

Narkel Naru Recipe

In a pan at medium heat, mix the coconut with the sugar and stir to avoid sticking to the pan. When they acquire a golden color, we raise the temperature a little and add the milk slowly. Keep stirring. Raise the temperature and add the condensed milk. Add the ground cardamom seeds and stir. Lower the temperature and stir until the mixture is more compact for at least 15 minutes.

There will come a time when you will see how, when removing the mixture, the pan remains clean. In short, part of the mixture will stick to the spatula with which you are stirring. If you want, you can put off the heat. Keep in mind that the more you cook it, the harder the narkel naru will be. In addition, this dough hardens a little when cooled.

Remove the pan and wait for it to cool a bit. When the mixture is still hot start making the balls. This is important because, the dough hardens when it cools. So if you wait too long, you cannot make the balls anyway. So take a little dough with your fingers and make the balls, rolling the dough between the palms of your hands.

Once they are finished, put them and leave them both inside and outside the fridge.