Coconut Ice

Yet another Goan sweet, that also finds its way to the table for Christmas, Coconut Ice. The Chef says that it used to be called the Coconut Cordial though it seems this is a liquid drink now days, anyone can shed some light on this? Was the coconut the Goan coconut cordial?

Like all Goan sweets, there are two main ingredients that go into making it, Patience and Love. The slower the flame, the tastier the sweet :) Lets see what goes into making this delicacy.

Coconut Ice Main Ingredients:



1 Cup Soji/Rava/Semolina
1 Cup Milk
Less than a Cup of Ghee
200 - 220 Gms Scrapped Coconut
2 & 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Ground Cashews
1 Table Spoon Butter
1 Tea Spoon Both Almond & Coconut Essence
Small Quantity of Cochineal or Red Colour



Procedure:

All the main ingredients have to be mixed together, you start off by heating the ghee and rava.


Make sure your flames on the lowest possible flame, add the sugar and ground cashew to the coconut ice mixture as well.

You can either do this step earlier, thats grind the coconut and milk together to get coconut milk.

Once your coconut milks ready you can add it to the mixture.


Now comes an essential part in most Goan sweets, stirring on a slow flame. Fast flames never get the desired result, patience is the key.

Keep Stirring the mixture, soon you shall see all the ingredients fusing together.

It changes texture and looks like what it does in the picture below.

Its not yet close to done, so change your stirring hand and go on.

As it thickens the stirring gets tougher, but its a good sign, the sweet is getting done.Once you notice the sweet beginning to leave the sides of the dish, its time for you to add the cochineal or red colour.

The trick to getting the right colour is to always add less, on adding more you cant get the colour you want back if you put in too much.

Once you add the colour, stir it to check and see if its enough.Add some more if the colours too pale.

Once thats done add the tablespoon of butter don't forget that you still need stir it a little more.Check the consistency in water, you pour some normal room temperature in a small bowl.
Add a small ball of the mixture in it, if it hardens your Coconut Ice is ready.
If the ball is soft, it still needs to be cooked for some more time.
Add the almond and coconut extract at this time, and remove the mixture from the dish.

You need to place the mixture on a greased surface, we use the granite platform itself, since its stone its cooler enabling faster cooling of the dish.

Once its out, flatten it, first with your hand and then with a baton to get an even surface.

Make sure its got the right thickness as well, that you would like.
Give it a little time for it too cool off and once thats done you can now cut your coconut ice.

We cut it into simple diamond shapes, which we have for other sweets as well.
Heres some of the coconut ice all cut up.

All the best with your Coconut Ice, I'm sure this coconut ice recipe will help you turn out another delicious goan special.