Fresh coconut and jaggery rolled into small spheres — the simplest and most widely made sweet ball in Bengal, specifically prepared for Lakshmi Puja (Kojagori) and the harvest season. No cooking required when fresh coconut and fresh jaggery are both available.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh grated coconut (from 1 medium coconut — the freshness is essential)
3/4 cup nolen gur (date palm jaggery — the liquid or semi-solid variety; substitute: any dark, fragrant jaggery)
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
a pinch of camphor (edible variety — optional but traditional)
Method
Grate the coconut: Break a fresh coconut. Grate the white flesh on the fine side of a grater. You need 2 cups of freshly grated coconut — the freshness of the grating determines the quality.
Heat the coconut and jaggery: Place the grated coconut and nolen gur together in a wide, heavy pan on medium-low heat.
Cook stirring continuously: Cook on medium-low heat, stirring without stopping, for 8 to 10 minutes until the jaggery is fully absorbed, the mixture is cohesive and pulls away from the pan sides when stirred. The mixture must be completely dry or the balls will not hold.
Add cardamom: Add cardamom powder. Stir.
Add camphor (if using): Add a tiny pinch of food-grade camphor. Stir. The camphor adds an aromatic, slightly cooling note traditional in festival preparations.
Cool until handleable: Remove from heat. Cool for 3 to 4 minutes until warm but not hot.
Shape while warm: Take a tablespoon of the warm mixture. Press firmly between both palms and roll into a smooth ball. The mixture binds best while warm — work quickly.
Shape all balls: Make approximately 20 to 24 small balls.
Cool completely: Place on a plate. Cool to room temperature. The balls firm as they cool.
Offer as prasad: These narkel naru are offered first to Goddess Lakshmi at Kojagori Puja, then distributed as prasad.
Note: Narkel Naru (narkel = coconut, naru = round sweet ball in Bengali) is the universal harvest sweet of Bengal — made for Lakshmi Puja (Kojagori), which falls on the full moon of October (Ashwin Purnima) when the goddess of prosperity is worshipped. The nolen gur (date palm jaggery) version is the winter one; the summer version uses fresh coconut with white sugar. Every Bengali household makes narkel naru — it is one of the very first sweets a Bengali child learns to make.