I am having so much fun with my food blog that I didn’t even realize it has already been a month. That is correct, The Hungry Palate completes one month today! From festivals and casual get-togethers to formal events, we celebrate with sweets. What better way to appreciate the sweetness you all have brought in my life, than to treat you with some Indian sweets! Today in celebration, I have made Mango and Coconut burfi – two of my favorite tropical flavors married into one!!

Basic burfi is a sweet confection made from milk powder or condensed milk and then reduced to a soft solid. From region to region, the appearance of it can differ greatly due to what is added to it. Some of the most popular ones are besan burfi, kaju burfi, and coconut burfi.

I tried a new ingredient for this recipe – “coconut milk powder” which is absolutely delicious and has many health benefits besides being vegan. It is made from freshly pressed coconut milk. You can use it in curries, shakes or anything you want to add the coconut flavors to!! This is going to be a regular ingredient in my pantry now:)

This burfi is sweet and tangy and has the perfect melt in mouth fudgy texture!!

 Recipe                                                Yields: 16 squares               Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of grated coconut
• 1 cup mango pulp (I have used Alphonso mango pulp)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk powder
• ½ can of sweetened condensed milk, 200 grams
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
• 1 tsp. ghee or melted butter

 For garnish

• Slivered almonds
• Broken cashews
• Rose petals

Method

1. Dry roast the coconut on a medium heat in a non-stick pan until golden. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, add mango pulp, condensed milk and coconut milk powder.
3. Cook this mixture till it starts to reduce and leaves the pan to form a soft dough.
4. Add ghee/butter and mix well.
5. Turn the heat off and spread the dough on a greased tray.
6. Allow it to cool completely.
7. Garnish with slivered almonds, cashews and rose petals.
8. Once it is set, cut into your desired shape.

Notes

• You can add ¼ cup of sugar to the mixture if you like extra sweet.
• I have used fresh coconut but you can use frozen or dry coconut flakes.
• This recipe has a softer, fudgier texture. For a dryer consistency, you can add more milk powder or lessen the condensed milk.
• You can use dry milk powder instead of coconut milk powder.
• You can garnish with pistachios or saffron if you like.