Coconut Ladoo With Jaggery Coconut Laddu Gurer Narkel Naru

About the recipe

Gurer Narkel naru or Nariyal laddu with jaggery is prepared in Bengal, especially during winter when jhola gur or nolen gur, which is liquid date jaggery extracted from the fruit sap of the date palm tree is available. This jaggery is sticky and gooey, which is perfect for binding laddus. Gurer means jaggery, narkel means coconut, and naru means ladoo in Bengali. Now, if you come to the coastal region of Karnataka, during Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri seasons, anta goda (sticky jaggery) is available in all shops. The benefit of using sticky jaggery while making ladoo is that you can easily bind the laddus even after the jaggery mixture cools down. But if you do not have access to sticky jaggery, you can definitely use regular jaggery like I did today. The only challenging part here is you have to bind the ladoos while the mixture is still warm. Otherwise, you will be unable to make any ladoos once the mixture cools. The color of the ladoo will vary depending on the type and color of jaggery you use.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups Coconut (approx 200g)1 ¼ cups Jaggery3 tablespoon Ghee½ teaspoon Cardamom powder

How to make Coconut Laddu with Jaggery?

In a pan on medium to low flame, add coconut and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the grated jaggery or jaggery powder and mix for 6 to 8 minutes or until the jaggery has melted completely and has blended well with the coconut. At this point, add 2 to 3 tablespoon of ghee in increments and mix. Do not overcook, as the jaggery will crystallize when cooled, and the ladoo will become hard. Finally, add cardamom powder and mix. Switch off the flame. To check if you are ready to form ladoos, take a tablespoon of the coconut-jaggery mixture and try to form a ball. You should be able to form a ball easily. While the mixture is still warm, grease your palms with ghee. Take a lemon-sized portion of the mixture and rolls it to form a ball. Repeat for the remaining mixture. You can check the video here. You can now offer these ladoos to deities during varalakshmi puja, Navratri puja, Goddess Lakshmi puja during Diwali, during Ganesh Chaturthi, or serve it as a refined-sugar-free dessert to satisfy sweet cravings after lunch/dinner.

Storage Suggestions

You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days or a month in the refrigerator. Serve it for Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Navratri Durga Puja, or as after meal dessert and enjoy.