flipNarkel naru — coconut balls with gur
Narkel naru — coconut balls with gur
Why this dish? In Bengal, coconut narus are prepared in large quantities for Durga Puja: they are offered to the goddess then kept for several days to distribute to visitors who come by. They are the sweet that keeps and accompanies devotees on the journey home.
Fresh grated coconut, cooked long with gur until a sticky paste, rolled into small balls perfumed with cardamom. Sweet, dense, keeps for several days.
What you offer me today, keep some for tomorrow: my blessing does not stale. Grate the white flesh of the nut, melt it with the gur over a patient fire until it holds in the hollow of your hand, then roll it into pearls. Store them; when the pilgrim knocks at your door, hand him a naru — thus you will share my favor, day after day.
- •Fresh grated coconut — the flesh of one nut (base)
- •Gur (preferably date palm jaggery) — in generous parts (sweet binder)
- •Green cardamom — a pinch (perfume)
- •Ghee — a little for the pan (non-stick)
Narkel naru — coconut balls with gur
Fresh grated coconut, cooked long with gur until a sticky paste, rolled into small balls perfumed with cardamom. Sweet, dense, keeps for several days.
Why this dish? In Bengal, coconut narus are prepared in large quantities for Durga Puja: they are offered to the goddess then kept for several days to distribute to visitors who come by. They are the sweet that keeps and accompanies devotees on the journey home.
What you offer me today, keep some for tomorrow: my blessing does not stale. Grate the white flesh of the nut, melt it with the gur over a patient fire until it holds in the hollow of your hand, then roll it into pearls. Store them; when the pilgrim knocks at your door, hand him a naru — thus you will share my favor, day after day.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh grated coconut — the flesh of one nut (base)
- Gur (preferably date palm jaggery) — in generous parts (sweet binder)
- Green cardamom — a pinch (perfume)
- Ghee — a little for the pan (non-stick)
Ingredients
- Fresh grated coconut (or frozen) — 300 g (base)
- Jaggery / gur (nolen gur if possible) — 150 g (sweet binder)
- Cardamom powder — 1/2 tsp (perfume)
- Ghee — 1 tsp (non-stick)
Method
- Melt the gur with a splash of water to make a syrup, in a pan greased with ghee.
- Add the grated coconut and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
- Continue until the mixture thickens, pulls away from the sides, and holds together (~15 min).
- Flavor with cardamom, let cool slightly.
- Shape into small balls with greased hands; let dry and firm up a bit before storing in an airtight container.
How it was made : Coconut and gur are two of the oldest sweet ingredients of coastal and Bengali India; dried confections of this type traveled well before refrigeration, making them lasting festival offerings and pilgrimage gifts. No New World products intervene.
The contemporary twist : Rolled in a little roasted coconut and bound with winter nolen gur, they take on a caramel color and smoky scent — a "limited edition" version of the Durga Puja season.
Sources : Chitrita Banerji, Life and Food in Bengal, 1991
Durga · Charactorium
