A healthy & Gluten-Free twist on an age-old East African Snack or Dessert made with Shredded Coconut and Figs
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Some things in life were meant to be together. Like Fish and Chips, or Bacon and Eggs. While some things are as unusual as they come, like Coconut and Figs. Or like having dinner in Zūrich, with two friends who neither eat chocolate nor cheese – in the heart of Chocolate and Cheese Country.
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As bizarre as this might sound, this is how today’s recipe Somali-inspired coconut candy balls, called Kashata, came about. My girlfriends Katie and Bemi decided to organise a girls evening so we three could get together for some home-cooked dinner and some glasses (or bottles) of wine. I offered to bring dessert and was already looking forward to making my signature chocolate avocado mousse, when I had the good sense to ask about preferences and allergies. Katie would rather no chocolate, and Bemi would rather no cheese. And so it was back to my drawing.. I mean, chopping board for a dessert idea with no chocolate or cheese..
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Enter Kashata, Kashata is a traditional Somalian coconut sweet made from coconut, milk, sugar and cardamom, then rolled into balls and allowed to set or pressed down in a tin to set, then sliced into squares. Kashata is street food at its best and is prolific along the Eastern coast of Africa, in Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. It is usually served as dessert as an accompaniment to strong black ginger-spiced coffee.
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On my first encounter with Kashata, I wondered if it would taste similar to the 1980s staple of my childhood: Nigerian Coconut Candy, which I could never get enough of. I have to say that it is so close, I could eat my weight in these coconut candy balls in record time without coming up for air!
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The original recipe, like the recipe for Nigerian Coconut Candy Balls is packed full of processed sugar., which isn’t unusual, as Somalian sweets are renowned for their sweetness. These days however, I am on a mission to reduce the amount of processed sugar we consume at home, so I decided to make a few modifications to the original traditional recipe, by replacing the processed sugar the recipe calls for, with a more nutritious naturally occurring sweetener – Figs.
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The nutritional value and natural sweetness of figs made the fruit a prime candidate for experimentation. I had a few dried figs left over in my pantry and voila – I am absolutely delighted with the results. And with Easter around the corner, what better way to give the kids a sweet treat without a guilty conscience?
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To ensure the correct consistency for the coconut balls, use dried figs that are soft; if your figs are firm, soak them for five minutes in warm water before blitzing them in a food processor.
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- 150 g dried figs
- 100g g shredded coconut
- 1.5 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tbsp date syrup
- 50 ml coconut milk
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- Using a food processor, process dried figs into very fine chunks. The finer the result, the stickier the figs will be.
- In a mixing bowl, add the shredded coconut, honey, melted butter, date syrup, coconut milk and coconut oil to the chopped figs and mix thoroughly.
- Shape into balls, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Is this recipe right for you?
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Let me know what you think! Catch you next week.
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Love,
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Emem..xo
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