Coconut Barfi with Condensed Milk

By now you should know that I'm all for quick cooking. Every once in a while I do enjoy toiling over my food, but most other times I look for quick ways to make the same items without compromising on the flavor and the aroma.
I generally make coconut barfi in a traditional way, first making the sugar syrup and then adding in the coconut and cardamom and ghee. This time I tried using condensed milk to make barfi and believe me when I say, I will not be making barfis in the traditional way for a long long time. It took half the time and effort to make the condensed milk version and the taste was great too.


Ingredients
Coconut Powder/Grated Coconut: 2 cups
Condensed Milk: 1 can (8 oz)
Cardamom Powder: 1 tsp
Ghee/Clarified Butter: 1 tbsp
Almonds for decoration
Extra Sugar (if required only)

Kitchen Items Required
Thick bottomed vessel to make the barfi and a wooden spatula
A greased dish or plate to spread the barfi on
Knife to cut the ready barfi

Method

1)Dry roast the coconut for just a minute or two on very low flame till it gives out a good aroma. Do not brown or fry it
2)Now add in the condensed milk (I use the Carnation sweetened condensed milk)and mix it nicely into the coconut mixture. You can increase the heat a bit. Keep stirring till the condensed milk has nicely incorporated with the coconut. Taste and check for sweetness. Add in more sugar if you want it sweeter.
3)When the mixture becomes relatively dry, add in the ghee into the mixture and stir well. Add in the cardamom powder and mix
4)Grease the plate/dish with a little ghee and pour the barfi mixture.
5)Using a spoon flatten out the barfi and nicely pack it closely and let it cool
6)Once cool, cut into desired shapes, decorate with almonds and store in a cool place.