Carrot Coconut Squares

Thanks for all the comments on the recent blog makeover. Being new to blogging, it’s always encouraging to get a comment, even if it’s in monosyllables..it’s just a testament that I have your support.

I have been relatively quiet this month, though that’s not saying that things were quiet in the kitchen. In fact the kitchen is super busy…my mom is here from India. And that only means more scrumptious contributions from my..er..her..our kitchen! Amma has some staple recipes that she has mastered ..I’m not saying that because I’m her daughter, but I’m yet to taste anything like her aviyal (vegetables in coconut curry sauce) and paal payasam (rice kheer/pudding) or her burfis. I think it would be befitting to dedicate a section of this blog to Amma’s recipes. This quote that I read somewhere sums up Amma in a few words..

A mother is a person who, seeing that there are only four pieces for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.

That is Amma.

I thought I’d start off this section on a sweet note with her famous burfi recipe. She makes different kinds but here’s a new one that she made within the first few days of coming here. The burfi was devoured in a few hours!

Ingredients:

1/2 carrot grated

1/4 cup grated coconut

15 cashewnuts powdered

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp cardamom powder (elaichi pd)

1. Take the grated carrot, coconut and cashews in a blender. Add the milk and blend to a paste.

2. Take about 1 1/2 cup water in a saucepan and add the sugar to this to make sugar syrup. You will know it’s done when the syrup becomes thick and forms a “single string” when touched between your thumb and forefinger. That’s the test Amma does to ensure it’s done. Unfortunately I didn’t take enough pictures to show you this but I’ll try to explain how she does it. Take a little bit of the sugar syrup and spread it on your thumb. Now press your forefinger against your thumb and when you separate your fingers, you will see a “single string” of syrup.

This could also be called a “soft ball” stage. Check out this link to see what I’m talking about.

3. Now add the carrot-coconut-cashew-milk paste to this sugar syrup. Keep stirring this mixture on a low to medium flame till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. This may take about 10-15 minutes but make sure you turn off the heat when the mixture starts to thicken and leave the sides of the pan, else you may overcook it.

4. Add the ghee to this mixture and the cardamom powder.

5. Take some butter paper (optional) on a flat plate or thali. You may also use a greased plate if you don’t have butter paper handy. Spread the mixture on the paper with a greased flat ladle. Allow to cool to room temperature and then cut into squares.