Coconut barfi recipe using mawa or khoya – Traditionally barfi was made by condensing milk and sugar for very long hours to get a rich taste. Milk is the key ingredient that adds rich taste to any barfi including the traditional way of making coconut barfi. Traditionally coconut burfi was made with flour or semolina, dried coconut, ghee, sugar and milk which is rarely made these days due to the prolonged process.
There are many quick alternate versions of making coconut barfi and the recipe shared here is one of them. It comes very close to the traditional one due to the addition of mawa or khoya.
This recipe can be made using dried coconut / copra but I have made it with desiccated coconut. You can also make this with fresh coconut but the taste would be different and turns out moist. With desiccated coconut the barfi turns out non sticky & dry like the ones sold in sweet shops but with a mouth melting texture.
For more barfi recipes, you can check
7 cups burfi recipe
Coconut burfi
Badam burfi
Chocolate burfi
Coconut barfi recipe
Coconut barfi recipe | How to make coconut barfi with mawa or khoya
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 2 cups desiccated coconut (150 grams)
- 1 ½ cups mawa grated or crumbled, / khoya (150 grams)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder / Elaichi
- 1 tsp ghee
- Pistachios chopped, as desired
- almonds chopped, as desired
How to make the recipe
- Grease the pan with ghee. Add mawa, sugar and begin to heat on a low to medium heat.
- Add milk and allow mawa to completely melt.
- Add desiccated coconut, cardamom powder and mix well.
- Cook on a medium heat until the mixture turns thick and begins to leave the sides of the pan.
- It turns to a mass.
- Grease the pan and transfer the mixture to it.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
If you are new to cooking, follow my detailed step by step photo instructions for best results.
How to make coconut barfi recipe
1. Heat a pan with very little ghee. This is just to grease the pan to prevent the food sticking up at the bottom.
2. Add mawa / khoya.
3. Add sugar.
4. Mix and begin to heat up.
5. Add milk.
6. Add coconut and cardamom powder. Mix together and cook on a medium heat stirring often.
7. Under 2 to 4 minutes, the mixture becomes hot and thickens. It turns to a mass. This is the right stage to switch off.
8. Pour this to a greased tray. You can also do it over a foil or butter paper.
9. Spread it evenly and add sliced nuts. Press down with a spatula. Cut them to squares while still warm. Allow to cool down completely before removing. They will be soft set till they are warm and begin to firm up once cooled. So do not remove until it turns cool completely.
Transfer coconut barfi to a airtight jar.
Monika says
Hi Swasthi,
I was going through the barfi recepies to try one for Raksha bandhan which contains khoya. When I make ghee out of malai, there is a thick milk which comes out while kneading malai. It thickens when boiled. Can this mawa be used for barfi making ?
swasthi says
Hi Monika,
Yes you can use but follow this recipe of coconut burfi (first recipe). Happy Raksha bandhan! Have a great time. 🙂
CS says
Qty of milk?
swasthi says
1/2 cup milk, Thanks for the mention. I updated it