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Goan chana dal doce
Chana dal and coconut fudge
Doce de grão: fudge-like Goan Christmas sweet of chana dal and fresh coconut, cooked down with sugar and ghee
Doce de grão is one of the oldest sweets on the Goan Christmas kuswar platter, made in Catholic homes from Margao to Mapusa in the weeks before Christmas and also for weddings. Chana dal is boiled and ground with fresh coconut, then cooked with sugar in a wide pan, stirred constantly for the best part of an hour, until it turns into a thick, glossy dough that leaves the sides of the pan. Spread on a plate, cut into diamonds or pressed into small moulds, it is dense, fudgy and nutty, with a soft coconut flavour. Some families add a little ghee at the end for shine, and that makes it vegetarian rather than vegan. The usual mistake is taking it off the heat too soon: it stays sticky and never sets. Push a spoon through the middle; it is ready when the line holds and the mixture rolls into a ball. Chef's tip: grind the coconut and dal together while the dal is warm and without water; a wet paste takes twice as long to cook down.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 9 oz chana dalsoaked 2 hours
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 9 oz fresh coconutfinely grated
- 14 oz sugar
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp ground green cardamom
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz chana dal and simmer it in 3 ¼ cups water over a medium heat for 25–30 minutes (or 3 whistles in a pressure cooker) until soft but not mushy. Drain very well.
30 minStep 2: While still warm, grind the dal and 9 oz fresh coconut together to a smooth, thick paste without adding water.
5 minStep 3: Put the paste and 14 oz sugar in a wide, heavy pan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar melts; the mixture will loosen first.
5 minStep 4: Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom constantly, for 30–35 minutes until it thickens into a dough that leaves the sides of the pan and rolls into a soft ball when cooled on a plate.
35 minStep 5: Stir in 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp ground green cardamom and 1 pinch salt and cook for 2 minutes more until glossy.
2 minStep 6: Spread on a greased plate or tray about 1.5 cm thick, smooth the top and cut into diamonds while warm. Cool completely, then store in an airtight tin for up to 10 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does goan chana dal doce take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fresh coconut?
- Desiccated coconut soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, about three quarters of the weight.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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