South Asian content creator Kamana Bhaskaran joined "Good Morning America" on Saturday with a recipe for a Diwali dessert in hand.
Check out the sweet treat below to recreate it in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
3 cups desiccated coconut/coconut powder
1 tin (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons rose syrup/Rooh Afza
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon ghee/clarified butter
1/2 cup dry shredded coconut to roll the balls
1 tablespoon pistachio, finely chopped
1 tablespoon edible rose petals
Instructions
Dry roast the desiccated coconut for 1-2 minutes over a low-medium flame. Be careful to not burn or brown.
Add rose water and Rooh Afza/rose syrup to the lightly toasted desiccated coconut.
Next, add the sweetened condensed milk, and mix well together.
Tip: Start with 3/4 the can. Add more after the dough forms as needed.
Cook this mixture for another 2 minutes. The mixture will not stick to the pan but will come together to form a soft dough (similar to Play-Doh). Let cool for a few minutes.
Rub some ghee on your palm and roll to make medium-sized balls of this mixture about ¾ inch tall and wide (ping pong ball size).
Roll the balls in dry shredded coconut.
Garnish with finely crushed pistachio and top with Rose petals.
Top tips, recommendations and suggestions
Use a nonstick pan to make this dessert. It prevents the mixture from sticking to the pan.
Feel free to use few drops of pink food color + 2 teaspoons of rosewater as a substitute for Roohafza.
Add pink food coloring as needed to get a light pink color.
This is one of those South Asian desserts that can be made in advance. Storing them is also easy.
They stay good for a week when refrigerated. You can freeze them for up to 2-3 months.
