Coconut Burfi

Coconut being a tropical fruit has many nutritional values. Daily intake of coconut water has a cooling effect to your body and makes skin glow. Coconut was found growing naturally in the coastal areas mostly because the fruit floats on the water and can travel miles carried by waves and when pushed ashore on a fertile soild sprouts to a healthy tree. Coastal south indian regions like kerela and tamilnadu are major producers of coconut products. these are pretty tall trees growing upto 100-150ft. The leaves are use to make thatches when weaved properly used for roofs and even houses in rural areas. the fibre obtained from the outer shell of coconut is widely used to make ropes. These ropes are strong enough to pull an elephant nevertheless used in everyday life by common man right from drawing water from well to binding load to his cart.Talk about bio-degradable!! every part of the tree can replace plastic unquestionably.
Here is an age old recipe of coconut cake(burfi).
Ingredients:
coconut - 2 cups
sugar - 1 1/2 cups
water - 1/4 cup
cardamom powder - one pinch
ghee - 2 tbsp
cashewnut pieces - 2 tbsp (unsalted, unroasted)
food coloring - any color your desire - but not required.
melon seeds - one tsp

method:
Grate a fresh coconut if possible or can buy dessicated coconut from local indian grocery stores. The local grocery stores in the US has sweetened and unsweetened. Please buy the unsweetened ones.
Place thick bottom deep pan on the stove.
add the ghee and let it heat. Dont let it fume.
add the cashewnut pieces and toast untill they turn golden and immediately take them out.
now add the sugar and water and let it boil to sugar syrup. To test the consistency, insert the wooden spoon and take it out let it cool and touch with your thumb and index finger. when pulled apart the fingers form threads. this is perfect form.
Now add the coconut and start stirring. let the mix boil but keep stirring every one minute.
at one point the mix will start bubbling with foamy layers. If you desire to have colored kind like the pic above, add the food coloring to your desired shade. add the roasted cashews and cardamom powder.
Meanwhile take a 8X8 pan and grease with a spoon of ghee or butter.
when the mix starts to thicken and foam vigorously pour the mix into the plate carefully. Please dont make sure it doesnt splatter on the skin, this gives serious burns. sprinkle the melon seeds on the top and press slighlty with the wooden spoon so they stick.
Let the mix sit for about 10 mintes. Take a knife and draw lines to form squares on the sweet when they are little hot. Let it cool further for about an hour.
Now once it is cool. Reestablish the lines with the knife so the cakes come out clean.
your coconut burfis ready. This has longer shelf life without refridgeration like about a week. It can stay longer in the fridge but turns harder due to cold temperatures.