Narkel naru (coconut and jaggery balls)
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Small round sweets of fresh coconut cooked with jaggery and cardamom, offered at Lakshmi Puja and shared on Bijoya Dashami.
Region: West BengalOccasion: Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, Bijoya Dashami and other pujasTime: 40 minServes: 15 narusVegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly grated coconut
- ¾ cup grated jaggery (or nolen gur in winter)
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- A little oil for the palms (optional)
Method
- Put the coconut and jaggery in a heavy pan on low heat.
- Stir all the time as the jaggery melts and the mixture cooks down.
- When it becomes sticky and starts to gather into a mass, add cardamom and turn off the heat.
- Cool until you can handle it, then roll quickly between greased palms into small balls.
- Let them set and store in an airtight tin.
History
Coconut grows widely in south Bengal, and coconut sweets have long been made at home for household pujas.
Significance
Narus are placed on the offering tray for Goddess Lakshmi and given to friends and relatives who visit after Durga Puja.