The Best Doce

Today we are making a Doce recipe, which is a Goan specialty. I love making this Doce recipe at Christmas time. I hope you try out this Christmas sweet, I am sure my tips and tricks will ensure it comes out perfect every time!

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (300 grams) Chana Dal / Bengal Gram / Split Chickpeas

• 3 cups (300 grams) Fresh Grated Coconut

• 3 cups (600 grams) White Granulated Sugar

• 1 tbsp (15 grams) Pure Ghee, clarified butter

• 1 tsp (10-12 pods) Cardamom Powder, freshly ground

• 1 tsp Salt

Method

1. Wash the chana dal under cold running water and rinse it about three times before soaking it in a bowl with water for 5-6 hours or overnight.

2. Drain out the water and add the chana dal to the pressure cooker. Pour just enough water to cover the chana dal.  Season with salt, and stir it.

3. Close the cooker and cook on medium heat for three whistles.  Now take it off the heat and allow the pressure to release before opening the cooker. 

4. Put the cooked chana dal in a sieve to drain out any liquid.  Preserve the liquid for use later.

5. Let the chana dal cool in a bowl.

6. Now to the blender/mixer add the grated coconut in two batches and add just as much liquid strained from the chana dal as is required to grind the coconut to a fine consistency. 

7. Add the finely ground coconut to a heavy bottom nonstick pot (preferably)

8. In the same blender/mixer add the chana dal in two batches and grind it to a smooth paste.  Then add it to the pot with the coconut. 

9. Add the sugar and salt, then mix it all till well blended.

10. Put it on the stove over medium-high heat stirring continuously till it comes to a gentle boil.

11. Now reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring continuously.  The mixture will begin to get thin as the sugar starts to melt and then after a while, it will thicken as the liquid in it begins to dry out.  

12. Add the ground cardamon to the mixture and stir it.  Use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the pot for even cooking.

13. Once the mixture has thickened, add the pure ghee or clarified butter and keep stirring until the liquid dries out and the mixture forms a dough that does not stick to your fingers when you touch it.

14. Remove from the heat and transfer it onto a silicon mat or a greased surface.  Flatten it out with a silicon spatula and then with a greased rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle of the desired thickness.

15. Use a fork and run it down the length of the Doce to form a design.  Let it cool for 10 minutes before cutting it into desired shapes.  

16. Leave it to cool for approximately two hours before removing the cutout pieces and enjoying!