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Kamarkattu
Coconut jaggery candy balls
கமர்கட்டு: chewy balls of grated coconut cooked down with jaggery, sold from glass jars in village shops
Kamarkattu is the toffee of Tamil village shops, dark, chewy, caramel-scented balls of coconut and jaggery that cost a few paise in the days when children bought sweets one at a time. It's quick to make at home and keeps for a couple of weeks. The mistake is taking the jaggery too far: if the syrup hardens past the soft-ball stage, kamarkattu turns rock hard and pulls fillings. Chef's tip: test a drop in cold water; when it forms a soft ball you can squash, switch off and shape immediately.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 7 oz jaggerygrated
- ¼ cup water
- 5 ½ oz freshly grated coconut
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp rice flourfor dusting hands
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Melt 7 oz jaggery with ¼ cup water over low heat, then strain to remove grit.
5 minStep 2: Return to a heavy pan and boil, stirring, until thick and a drop in cold water forms a soft ball, about 6 minutes.
6 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz freshly grated coconut and ¼ tsp ground cardamom and stir over low heat until the mixture is sticky, dark and leaves the sides of the pan, 6–8 minutes.
8 minStep 4: Let it cool just enough to handle. Dust your palms with 1 tbsp rice flour and roll quickly into small marble-sized balls.
8 minStep 5: Cool completely and store airtight for up to 2 weeks.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kamarkattu take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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