Sweets recipes | Havyaka

Kaay halwa | Coconut burfi

By Leena Hegde, Puttanamane

Ingredients A quick look Step by step Notes

What an awesome aromatic delicious delicacy this kaay halwa / coconut burfi is! Just three ingredients – freshly grated coconut, jaggery, and cardamom – and the magic happens when these three ingredients are combined. A unique dish with a fantastic flavour and taste will be formed.

This simple and flavourfull sweet is one of the much favoured sweet made during Deepavali festival especially on the Lakshmi pooja day. Kaay halwa / coconut burfi is also made on other special occasions and festivals.

Kaayi is any unripe fruit or vegetable. Here kaayi is tengina kaayi (coconut). Kaayi is further cut short into kaay when prefixed with dish names.

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Cool off time

10 mins

Total time

32 mins

Course

Sweets

Diet

Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty level

Moderate

Servings

12 pieces

Ingredients

1.5 cups freshly grated coconut – tightly packed
1 cup jaggery
5 cardamoms

Cookware / Utensils

Thick pan
Spoon or spatula
Steel plate or tray
Mortar and pestle (optional)

Instructions

Grate 1.5 cups fresh coconut.
Remove the cardamom seeds, rinse, and powder them.
Grease a plate with ghee / oil, cover and keep aside.
Heat 1 cup of jaggery in a thick bottomed pan on a medium heat.
Let the jaggery melt. Keep stirring the jaggery.
Add 1.5 cups freshly grated coconut, and cardamom powder.
Mix well and continuously stir the mixture.
Mixture starts thickening in a few minutes. Continue to stir.
Now, all the moisture has evaporated and mixture starts leaving the sides.
Continue to stir for a minute or until you can form a ball easily from the mixture.
Switch off and pour this mixture on a greased plate or on parchment paper.
Flatten it with the back of a ladle. Let it become warm.
Cut them to desired shapes.
Enjoy this nutty halwa / burfi with family and friends on festive days.

Step by step guide

How to make Kaay halwa / coconut burfi

1. Grate 1.5 cups fresh coconut.

2. Remove the cardamom seeds, rinse, and powder them.

3. Grease a plate with ghee / oil, cover and keep aside.

If you are using oil to grease a plate, use neutral oil.

4. Heat 1 cup of jaggery in a thick bottomed pan on a medium heat.

5. Let the jaggery melt. Keep stirring the jaggery.

6. Add 1.5 cups freshly grated coconut, and cardamom powder.

7. Mix well and continuously stir the mixture.

8. Mixture starts thickening in a few minutes. Continue to stir.

9. Now, all the moisture has evaporated and mixture starts leaving the sides. Continue to stir for a minute or until you can form a ball easily from the mixture.

10. Switch off and pour this mixture on a greased plate or on parchment paper. Flatten it with the back of a ladle. Let it become warm.

11. Cut them to desired shapes.

12. Enjoy this nutty halwa / burfi with family and friends on festive days.

Notes

Kaay halwa or coconut burfi can be made with different texture. This recipe is for a melt-in-mouth burfi.

For a softer version switch off when the mixture becomes thick with no excess moisture and starts leaving the sides.

For a melt-in-mouth texture cook for additional 1 to 2 minutes after the mixture becomes thick. At this stage you should be able to make a ball from the mixture.

For more hard or brittle texture, cook further for 3 to 4 minutes. At this stage mixture becomes harder to stir.
Increase or decrease the jaggery quantity as per your taste.
The freshly grated coconut is best suited to make this halwa / burfi. However, you can use dry or shredded coconut. Texture and taste will vary accordingly.
You can use any type of jaggery. Again, texture and taste will vary accordingly.
The exact time may vary depending on the type of pan used, flame intensity, and the ingredients type.