Gur diya narikolor laru (coconut balls with jaggery)
A sweet preparation made with scraped coconut and jaggery syrup, prepared during the Assamese festival of Bihu, especially Magh Bihu and Rongali Bihu.
Ingredients
- 400 gms grated coconut (see note below)
- 2 cups jaggery shavings (I shaved with a knife from a block of jaggery)
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Add the coconut to a bowl and keep aside.
- Place the jaggery and water in a small saucepan.
- Place over low to medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, or until the jaggery melts. Stir constantly.
- Reduce heat to low and cook further for 6-7 minutes. Take a little syrup from the cooking ladle and press between your thumb and forefinger. It should be stringy.
- Remove from heat and pour the syrup over the coconut.
- Mix together the coconut and jaggery.
- When the mixture is cool enough to handle, use your hand to mix everything well together.
- Add the coconut - jaggery mixture to a thick bottomed pan.
- Place the pan over low to medium heat.
- Cook for 6-7 minutes. stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for another 14-15 minutes, pressing the mixture down frequently with the back of a ladle.
- Remove from heat. Transfer the mixture to a plate and press down into a firm mound to prevent heat loss.
- Starting from one end, and with wet hands, take portions of the mixture and shape / roll into balls. Keep them on another clean and dry plate.
- Cool the larus completely before storing in airtight containers.
Video
Notes
- I used store bought frozen grated coconut as I do not have coconut scraper. If you have one, scrape a fresh coconut and use that; it will give better texture to the larus.