“Inspired by the past
When I was a child,
And mum used to play
‘Where did the sweetmeats hide’,
In her purse
Or under a shawl so warm,
They were a treat welcome
For the entire dorm,
Made with love
And gone by the count of three,
This is my re-creation
Of her missing recipe..”
Ingredients
1 cup grated coconut (fresh or packed)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup condensed milk
2 tsp vegetable oil
4 cups whole milk
Cook the coconut in a non-stick pan till on medium flame its brown and lightly toasted (approx 3-5 minutes). Remove and cool.
Heat oil in a non-stick saucepan. Add the sugar and let it melt. Now add the coconut and mix well. Saute till the sugar and coconut are pasty. Stir in the condensed milk + whole milk, reduce flame to medium-low and let it cook with occasional stirring. Continue to cook till all the liquid has evaporated (approx 20-25 minutes). Once dry, turn flame to medium and sauté continuously till oil begins to separate from the mixture. Remove from heat and cool. (If you want fudge or barfi shapes, put the mixture in a brownie pan at this stage - before cooling, press down and let it cool. Once cooled, cut into squares)
Spoon a mixture in your palm and fold into balls. Serve with hot tea for a sweet afternoon snack!
PS- for a more indulgent version, dip them in melted chocolate and cool in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
