During fasting periods, such as Savan or Janmashtami, there is a need to prepare festive sweets. Many people prefer to buy ready-made products in stores, but this carries the risk of impurities and high cost. In such conditions, homemade coconut urbech is an ideal alternative because it is not only pure and delicious but also very easy to prepare.
Preparing this sweet does not require long hours dedicated to making sugar syrup, nor does it require a large number of ingredients. Below is the simplest instruction for its creation.
For this dish, you will need: 2 cups of fresh coconut (peeled and grated/chopped), 1 cup of full-fat milk (approximately 250–300 ml), 1/2 cup of sugar (to taste), 1 teaspoon of ghee, 1/2 teaspoon of green cardamom powder, and 1 large tablespoon of chopped nuts (almonds/pistachios) for garnish.
First, peel the brown husk from the fresh coconut using a knife and separate it. Then, cut the coconut into small pieces and pulse it in a food processor without adding water, or grate it.
In a thick-bottomed pan, pour in one cup of full-fat milk and bring it to a boil over medium heat, maintaining the heat for 5–7 minutes until the milk thickens and reduces in volume by half. After that, add the grated fresh coconut and mix thoroughly. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the coconut has completely absorbed all the liquid from the milk.
When the mixture starts to look dry, stir in 1/2 cup of sugar. Once the sugar dissolves, the consistency of the mixture will change slightly again. You must continue stirring for 8–10 minutes until all the sugar syrup has evaporated and the mass begins to separate from the sides of the pan.
Next, add 1 teaspoon of ghee and 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder. Adding ghee gives the urbech a beautiful shine and improves the taste. Heat for another minute, then turn off the stove.
Prepare a plate or mold for the urbech by greasing it with a small amount of ghee. Pour the prepared mass into the mold and distribute it evenly using a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios and almonds on top, pressing them lightly. Leave the urbech at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 30–40 minutes to set. Once it has hardened, cut it into desired shapes—squares or diamonds.
This sweet can be stored in an airtight glass or plastic container in the refrigerator for 7–10 days. During fasts, it is an excellent and quick source of energy.