Clean and soak chana dal for about 4 hours or overnight.
Soak 1/2 cup of cashew nuts with water for 1/2 an hour.
With a grinder, make a smooth paste of cashew with 2 tablespoons of water.
Drain the soaked dal and place in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of coconut milk.
Pressure cook the dal for 2-3 whistles or until dal becomes very soft.
Let the mixture cools a bit and then grind to a smooth paste.
Heat 1/4th cup of vanaspati ghee in a heavy bottomed saucepan. You can also use coconut oil instead of vanaspati. I use vanaspati as it has the flavour close to desi ghee.
Add in the lentil/chana dal paste and start frying in medium heat by stirring regularly.
When the mixture becomes hot enough after cooking 6-8 minutes, add in 3/4th cup of sugar.
Continue to cook for about 30 minutes or until the mixture start leaving from the pan. Keep flame in medium low heat during frying process to get better flavour and texture.
Next add in 1 cup of dessicated or fresh grated coconut, 1/4th cup of crushed nuts of your choice, cashew paste and 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder.
Stir well to mix everything to the lentil mixture.Continue to fry for more 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture turns into a homogeneous mass and start accumulating into a lump.
Remove from heat and grease rectangular mould or a dish.
Transfer the mixture (hot) to the greased mould.
Spread uniformly with a spatula and sprinkle some crushed nuts.
Keep aside to cool down completely and then cut in your desired size. I served them in some cup cake liners.
They are as tasty and flavourful as the traditional chana dal barfi or fudge. I garnished with some dry rose Patel's which is completely optional.
Enjoy!
