Well time to wrap up another year of Christmas Treats! I couldn’t possibly not put a Goan sweet in here (after all, it’s my people :). I’ve done other Goan recipes on the blog, some of the recipes come from family and friends, still others from recipe books specializing in Goan cuisine! So this is the last of the 2024 Christmas Treat – Dodol!

If you can believe an Indian recipe with fewer than 200 ingredients – just kidding, this is it. My daughter wanted to make this as soon she got back in town. I tried the first batch, my impatience got the better of me and of course, it didn’t set firm. It was delicious, the consistency was somewhere between pudding and fudge (should have been more like fudge)!

When she came down, I’d already made it once so knew what to expect. From all my years stirring sweets for my mum, I knew what to expect, but figured, “Hey I’m a Chef now, I don’t need to follow the rules…“.  Huh,let me tell you, rules are there for a reason! I also used a light colored jaggery (Indian sugar available in all Indian stores and some that cater to ethnic markets), which is why ours didn’t turn out as dark as the ones you may be used to. I could give you a lesson on jaggery, but that’s what google is for.

The other ingredient is “creamed coconut”. It comes in solid form, usually 141g per box.  We’ve always used the Grace brand (no affiliation).  It melts with heat and was the preferred source in Canada for my mum’s curries. But back to the dodol I will tell you, I did provide the words of encouragement like “almost there, I can see it coming away from the pan…“, just like my mum used to tell me! My daughter is a purist when it comes to recipes for baking or cooking. Don’t improvise. If it says to stir for 30 minutes, she’s got the timer set on her phone for 30 minutes and has no problem reminding her father it’s only been 29 minutes. Very much like my mum – but not as nice!

I think she did an excellent job with this one and I am proud to include it in the 2024 Christmas Treats. From me and mine, to you and yours, I wish you all the very best the Christmas Season has to offer, stay healthy, stay safe and above all, enjoy yourself with family and friends! As always – enjoy (the food)!

Ingredients:
1 packet creamed coconut
4 oz rice flour
1/2 tsp cardamom powder – please make sure it’s fresh
9 oz jaggery – preferably the dark kind but the light one also works
20 oz water
handful of unsalted cashews

Directions:
1. In a non-stick pot, over high heat, add the coconut, jaggery and water – stir until melted, remove from the heat
2. Add the rice flour, cashew nuts and cardamom powder and stir to combine
3. Return the pot to the fire and over medium setting, stir constantly until it has a dry, sticky consistency – about 30 minutes or a bit more
4. Place a piece of parchment on your counter, and when the mixture is ready, pour it out onto the parchment – let it cool before cutting into small squares or rectangles. It is rich so a little goes a long way, like fudge
5. Store cut pieces in the fridge in an airtight container separating layers with additional parchment

Notes, Additions and/or Recommendations:
Use whole cashews, they cut beautifully in the dodol, if you only have pieces, use them, just make sure they are unsalted
Dark jaggery is the sugar of choice – the taste, the color