Coconut Burfi with Jaggery is a healthy, delicious, flavorful Indian sweet recipe prepared using only two ingredients in less than 30 minutes.
Check out the list of popular homemade Indian desserts and sweets, quick and easy Diwali sweets, and recipes for nine days of Navratri vrat.
About the recipe
I already have a recipe for traditional old-fashioned white coconut burfi made with sugar. This coconut jaggery burfi is a simple and healthy version of coconut barfi that is sweet and prepared with freshly grated coconut and jaggery. The flavor from the freshly grated coconut and sticky jaggery is unique and aromatic.
The coconut burfi recipe is one of the easiest recipes you will ever try. You can never go wrong. No milk, condensed milk, no sugar, or flavorings are used, and you do not have to worry about achieving any string consistency while melting and caramelizing jaggery.
This Indian sweet is also called coconut barfi, gur nariyal barfi, soyi khadi in Konkani, thengai vellam burfi in Tamil, coconut jaggery burfi or bellada kobbari mithai (thenginakayi burfi) in Kannada.
I had prepared this burfi many times during lockdown over the past year. From kids to adults, people of all age groups love this burfi. Just like magic happens when milk and sugar are combined while preparing Mathura peda, similar magic happens when the coconut and caramelized jaggery is combined.
You can make this delightful coconut jaggery sweet or fudgy coconut bites dessert for various special occasions and upcoming festivals such as Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi), Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Krishna Janmashtami, Navratri, Diwali, or any time when you're yearning for something sweet. Coconut Burfi is an excellent recipe for fasting, upvas, and vrat days like Navratri, Karva Chauth, Ekadashi, Varalaxmi (Varamahalakshmi), Shravan vratam, and more.
Don't miss to check out simple recipes for vrat, fasting, and upvas, Diwali snack recipes for your family.
Tips to make the best coconut burfi recipe (thengai vellam burfi, soyi khadi)
- Use sticky jaggery or Gur. I use only sticky jaggery to make this burfi. This will give you the best burfis every single time. Sticky jaggery is sold in the market as chikki jaggery or anta god in Konkani. Not all jaggery will work similarly for this recipe. Your barfi may become hard with some jaggery varieties. To prevent it from hardening to a candy-like texture while using any other jaggery varieties, we need to stop caramelizing jaggery upon reaching 1-string consistency. In this case, first, make jaggery syrup, add jaggery and ¼ cup of water, boil and bring it to one string consistency. Then add coconut, stir for 2 to 3 minutes, and switch off the flame.
- Mix coconut and jaggery and saute till you get the desired consistency. Yes. In this recipe, you can decide how chewy or soft the barfi needs to be based on your family's taste and preference. For much softer barfi - switch off the flame as soon as the jaggery and coconut form a soft mass and start leaving the sides of the pan. And for the right barfi texture - stir the jaggery-coconut mixture till you can form a ball easily from the mixture. If you want a harder toffee-like texture, stir the mixture for a few extra minutes.
Ingredients
You need only two ingredients to make this coconut barfi or kobbari mithai.
Coconut: The freshly grated coconut has the right amount of moisture and flavor and gives the best results, But if you are not able to find one, you can use frozen coconut or dry or shredded coconut flakes, or desiccated coconut.
Jaggery: For authentic taste and flavor, use sticky jaggery, also called chikki jaggery or anta god.
How to make jaggery coconut burfi?
I have taken the stepwise pictures directly from the video. Watch the full video on making of coconut burfi with jaggery here.
Step 1: Add sticky jaggery to a pot.
Step 2: To this, add freshly grated coconut and start stirring on medium to medium-low flame.
Step 3: It changes its color from light brown to dark brown in a few minutes. Please see that you keep stirring the mixture during the entire process to prevent it from burning at the bottom and even cooking.
Step 4: The mixture becomes thick, and excess moisture evaporates and starts leaving the base. For a softer barfi, remove it at this stage. For a perfect melt-in-mouth barfi, cook for additional 1 or 2 minutes. For a barfi with a toffee-like texture, cook further for 3 to 4 minutes (mixture becomes harder to stir)
Step 5: I generally cook for additional one or two minutes on low flame after the mixture becomes thick (i.e., I do not stop at the soft burfi stage); all the moisture has evaporated and starts leaving the pan. You should be able to make a ball from the mixture. Switch off the flame. (you can add tablespoon of ghee and ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder at this stage if desired)
Step 6: Spread this mixture on parchment paper or a plate (thali) greased with ghee or butter, flatten it with the back of a ladle, and let it cool for a few minutes
Step 7: While still warm, cut into the desired shapes and enjoy.
Tips
- Adjust the amount of jaggery to taste.
- You can add ghee, cardamom powder, and roasted nuts to the barfi mixture at the end and mix before you let it set to make it richer and look more festive.
- See that the entire process is done of medium to medium-low flame.
- I can't give the exact time as it varies depending on the thickness and material of the pan used, the flame's intensity, and the quality of ingredients used.
- If you feel that you have removed the coconut-jaggery mixture too early and did not set upon cooling or the burfi became too soft, don't panic. Put the mixture back in the pan, stir for another 2 to 3 minutes, and then set the burfi again.
- The freshly grated coconut will make you get the juicy burfi and fantastic flavor. But you can use desiccated or frozen, or dry shredded flakes too. The texture will vary accordingly.
Storage suggestions
Coconut burfi with jaggery can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one week and in the refrigerator for another two weeks.
Check out some of the best Indian burfi sweet recipes that you can make for Indian festivals like Diwali, Navratri, etc.
Recipe FAQs
One piece of coconut barfi contains 106 calories.
Coconut jaggery barfi is rich in antioxidants, boosts immunity, supports digestive health, and is rich in essential nutrients and minerals.
Jaggery contains low glucose content and high moisture content compared to white sugar. But always remember it is still a form of sugar and contains carbs which can raise blood sugar levels. So eat it in moderation.
Yes, thus burfi recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free.
Traditionally freshly grated coconut is used to make burfi in India. In the USA, I use shredded or dried coconut flakes (sukha nariyal) and had no problems with it. You can use a fresh, dry, frozen, or desiccated variety of grated coconut that is readily available in your local stores.
More Indian healthy jaggery sweets
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Recipe card
Coconut Burfi with Jaggery | 2 Ingredient Indian Dessert
Equipment
- Plate
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Coconut I use freshly grated coconut. You can even use dry or frozen grated coconut
- 1 cup Jaggery (Gur, chikki jaggery, or Anta god, read tips before making the recipe)
- 1 to 2 tablespoon Ghee (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder (optional)
Instructions
- In a pan on medium to medium-low heat, add jaggery and coconut, and keep stirring the mixture.1 ½ cups Coconut , 1 cup Jaggery
- It changes its color from light brown to dark brown in a few minutes. Please see that you keep stirring the mixture during the entire process to prevent it from burning at the bottom and even cooking.
- The mixture becomes thick, and excess moisture evaporates and starts leaving the base. For a softer barfi, remove it at this stage. For a perfect melt-in-mouth barfi, cook for additional 1 or 2 minutes. For a barfi with a toffee-like texture, cook further for 3 to 4 minutes (mixture becomes harder to stir)
- I generally cook for additional one or two minutes on low flame after the mixture becomes thick (i.e., I do not stop at the soft burfi stage); all the moisture has evaporated and starts leaving the pan. You should be able to make a ball from the mixture. Switch off the flame. (you can add tablespoon of ghee and ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder at this stage if desired)1 to 2 tablespoon Ghee, ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- Spread this mixture on parchment paper or a plate (thali) greased with ghee or butter, flatten it with the back of a ladle, and let it cool for a few minutes. While still warm, cut into the desired shapes and enjoy. Store in an air-tight container for upto 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Use sticky jaggery or Gur. I use only sticky jaggery to make this burfi. This will give you the best burfis every single time. Sticky jaggery is sold in the market as chikki jaggery or anta god in Konkani. Not all jaggery will work similarly for this recipe. Your barfi may become hard with some jaggery varieties. To prevent it from hardening to a candy-like texture while using any other jaggery varieties, we need to stop caramelizing jaggery upon reaching 1-string consistency. First, make jaggery syrup, add jaggery and ¼ cup of water, boil and bring it to one string consistency. Then add coconut, stir for 2 to 3 minutes, and switch off the flame.
- Adjust the amount of jaggery to taste.
- You can add ghee, cardamom powder, and roasted nuts to the barfi mixture at the end and mix before you let it set to make it richer and look more festive.
- See that the entire process is done of medium to medium-low flame.
- I can't give the exact time as it varies depending on the thickness and material of the pan used, the flame's intensity, and the quality of ingredients used.
- If you feel that you have removed the coconut-jaggery mixture too early and did not set upon cooling or the burfi became too soft, don't panic. Put the mixture back in the pan, stir for another 2 to 3 minutes, and then set the burfi again.
- The freshly grated coconut will make you get the juicy burfi and fantastic flavor. But you can use desiccated or frozen, or dry shredded flakes too. The texture will vary accordingly.
Nutrition
This post for coconut barfi with jaggery (kobbari mithai, soyi khadi) was first published in Aug 2021. Updated with stepwise pictures, calories, and more details.
Sara Welch
Gave these a try for an afternoon treat, and they did not disappoint! Easy and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth!