Ingredients
Base
- 2 cups (180g) desiccated coconut, unsweetened
- ¾ cup (240g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp ghee
Flavoring
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- Pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk (optional)
For the tray
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut, for dusting
Instructions
Cook
- Heat ghee in a non-stick or heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
- Add the coconut and stir for 2–3 minutes until it smells fragrant. You're not toasting it deeply — just waking up the flavor. The edges may turn the faintest gold; don't let it brown.
- Pour in the condensed milk and the saffron milk if using. Stir immediately to combine.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 10–12 minutes. The mixture will look loose and wet at first. As the moisture cooks off, it will gradually thicken and pull away from the sides.
- The mixture is ready when it forms a single mass that moves with the spoon, leaves the sides and base of the pan cleanly, and a line drawn through the center with a spoon holds its shape for a few seconds before slowly closing. If it's at all pourable, keep cooking.
- Stir in cardamom, remove from heat.
Set and cut
- Line a ghee-greased tray with parchment and dust with the extra desiccated coconut — this prevents sticking and adds a pleasing texture to the base.
- Spread the mixture evenly to about 1.5cm thickness.
- Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting. Unlike flour-based burfi, this one needs the fridge to set firm enough to cut cleanly.
- Cut into squares or diamonds. A warm knife (dipped in hot water and wiped dry) helps produce clean edges through the coconut mixture.
Storage
- Fridge: Up to 1 week in an airtight container. These are dairy-based and don't keep at room temperature in warm weather.
- Room temperature: 2–3 days maximum in a cool kitchen.
- Freeze: Not recommended — the condensed milk changes texture when frozen and thawed.
Variations
- Two-tone: Divide the finished mixture before pouring. Stir a drop of pink food coloring (or a little beet powder) into one half. Press the plain layer first, let it firm for 15 minutes in the fridge, then press the pink layer on top. Striking at weddings and celebrations.
- Rose water: Add ½ tsp rose water off the heat along with the cardamom for a floral note. Pairs well with the pink two-tone version.
- Rolled in coconut: Instead of cutting, shape into laddoos — see Coconut Laddoo for the full shaping method.
Notes
- Condensed milk brands vary in sweetness. Taste the mixture before pouring — if it reads as too sweet, a pinch of salt stirred in off the heat will balance it.
- Different brands of desiccated coconut absorb liquid at different rates. If the mixture still seems loose after 12 minutes, keep cooking — two more minutes usually resolves it.
- Coconut burfi is softer than flour-based burfi even when fully set. Handle the cut pieces gently; they firm up more at cold temperatures.
Added Oct 6, 2026 · Updated Oct 6, 2026