Narikol Laru Recipe (Assamese Coconut Balls for Magh Bihu)

Quick answer: Narikol laru are small balls of freshly grated coconut cooked in a pan with sugar until the mixture holds together, then rolled by hand. They sit beside til pitha and sesame laru on the Magh Bihu platter in Assam and are offered to guests with tea. One coconut makes about 15 laru in roughly 30 minutes.

Kitchen note: This recipe is not yet kitchen-tested by a HinduTone cook. The quantities and timings follow common home methods; judge doneness by look and texture, and adjust for your stove and ingredients.

What is narikol laru and why is it made for Magh Bihu?

Narikol is coconut in Assamese, and laru is a sweet ball, the Assamese form of laddu. Magh Bihu, also called Bhogali Bihu (the Bihu of feasting), is Assam's mid-January harvest festival. In the days before it, homes make pithas (rice cakes), laru and jolpan (a breakfast of flattened or puffed rice with curd and jaggery). The Sentinel describes coconut laru simply as fried grated coconut mixed with sugar and shaped into balls, and EastMojo notes that it is made in Assamese homes all year as well as at Bihu. Visitors at Bihu are served tea with pitha and laru.

See our Magh Bihu in Assam guide for Uruka, the Meji fire and the rest of the festival, and our til pitha recipe for the sesame roll usually served alongside.

Ingredients

Grate only the white flesh: the brown skin darkens the laru and makes it bitter. Families vary the sweetness; some use less sugar, and some make a brown version with jaggery (see Substitutions).

How to make narikol laru

1. Grate the coconut finely. If it is very wet, squeeze lightly in your palm; it should feel moist but not drip.
2. Heat a heavy pan or kadai on low to medium heat. Add the ghee, if using, then the grated coconut.
3. Stir the coconut for 5 to 7 minutes, until it loses its raw smell and some of its moisture and feels lighter. Keep it white or barely golden; do not let it brown.
4. Add the sugar. It melts and the mixture turns wet and glossy. Keep stirring on low heat.
5. After 6 to 10 minutes the mixture thickens, starts to leave the sides of the pan and comes together when pressed with the spatula. Take a little, cool it for a few seconds and roll it: if it holds as a ball, it is ready. If it crumbles, cook another minute; if it turns hard and sticky like toffee, it has gone too far.
6. Stir in the cardamom, if using, and take the pan off the heat.
7. Let it cool until you can handle it but it is still warm. Wet or grease your palms lightly and roll about 1 tablespoon into a firm ball. Work quickly: the mixture sets as it cools. If it gets too firm, warm it on the stove for a few seconds.
8. Cool the laru completely on a plate before storing.

Pressure cooker, Instant Pot and rice cooker

Narikol laru is cooked in an open pan so the moisture can evaporate, so there is no pressure-cooker, Instant Pot or rice-cooker version. A non-stick frying pan is the easiest choice if you are new to it.

Naivedyam and Magh Bihu customs

On Magh Bihu morning, after the Meji bonfire, many households offer the first pithas and sesame into the fire, and the feast of pitha, laru and jolpan follows the rituals. If you want to offer laru at your home shrine, set some aside before anyone tastes them, as for any naivedyam. Customs differ from family to family: follow your elders or ask your priest.

Substitutions abroad

Desiccated coconut makes a drier laru: soak 120 g (1 1/2 cups) in about 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) of warm water or milk for 15 minutes before cooking, and cook it for less time. Jaggery version: use about 120 g (2/3 cup) grated jaggery in place of sugar; melt it with 2 tablespoons of water, strain out any grit, then add the coconut. The laru will be brown and softer.

Vegan option

Narikol laru made with sugar, coconut and no ghee is vegan. If you are strict about sugar processing, check the label or use jaggery.

Common mistakes

• Browning the coconut: it changes the taste and colour. Keep the heat low and stir constantly.
• Under-cooking: the laru will not hold and will spoil quickly. Do the roll test.
• Over-cooking: the sugar hardens and the balls turn chewy and hard. Take it off as soon as it holds.
• Rolling it cold: the mixture cracks. Roll while warm.
• Including the brown skin: gives grey specks and a bitter edge.

Storage

Fresh-coconut laru spoil faster than sesame sweets because of their moisture. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for about a day in cool weather, or in the fridge for up to about 4 to 5 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving. Discard any that smell sour.

Allergens

Contains coconut. In January 2025 the US Food and Drug Administration stopped classing coconut as a tree nut for allergen labelling, but some people are allergic to coconut itself, so tell guests what is in the laru. Add ghee or milk and they contain dairy. The basic recipe has no gluten, nuts or sesame, but check if you serve them on a platter with til laru or nut sweets.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use desiccated coconut?

Yes, but soak it in warm water or milk first, as described above. The texture is drier and finer than laru made from fresh coconut.

Sugar or jaggery: which is traditional?

Assamese newspaper descriptions of coconut laru give sugar, which keeps the laru white. Jaggery laru are made too, and are browner and softer. Follow your family's habit.

How is narikol laru different from narikol pitha?

Narikol laru is a ball of coconut and sugar with no rice. Narikol pitha is a rice-flour pitha with a coconut filling, rolled like til pitha.

When is Magh Bihu in 2027?

Magh Bihu falls on Friday 15 January 2027 per the panchang. The central restricted-holiday list marks "Makar Sankranti / Magha Bihu" on Thursday 14 January, and Assam's own 2027 list is awaited. Uruka is the eve of Magh Bihu. Confirm with your local panchang or temple priest.

How far ahead can I make narikol laru for Bihu?

A day or two ahead, stored in the fridge. Because fresh coconut spoils, they are best made close to Uruka.

Why did my laru fall apart?

The mixture was not cooked long enough to drive off the moisture and bind with the sugar. Put it back on low heat for a minute or two and roll again while warm.

Sources

• The Sentinel (Assam), Gunin Borah, "Traditional Delicacy of Magh Bihu", 15 January 2022: https://sentinelassam.com/editorial/traditional-delicacy-of-magh-bihu-573249 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• EastMojo, Pritisha Borthakur, "The many kinds of pitha, laru and jolpaan to feast on this Magh Bihu", 13 January 2023: https://eastmojo.com/assam/2023/01/13/the-many-kinds-of-pitha-laru-and-jolpaan-to-feast-on-this-magh-bihu/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• The Federal, Maitreyee Boruah, "Why Bihu celebration in Assam is incomplete without pitha and laru", 13 January 2025: https://thefederal.com/amp/category/the-eighth-column/why-bihu-celebration-in-assam-is-incomplete-without-pitha-and-laru-166559 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• The Assam Tribune, "In quest of pithas", 15 April 2021: https://dainikasam.assamtribune.com/in-quest-of-pithas (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Covington & Burling, "FDA Finalizes Two Guidance Documents Related to Food Allergens", January 2025: https://www.cov.com/en/news-and-insights/insights/2025/01/fda-finalizes-two-guidance-documents-related-to-food-allergens (accessed 12 November 2026)

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

Related guides

• Makar Sankranti 2027 guide
• Magh Bihu in Assam
• Til pitha recipe
• Ghila pitha recipe
• Sankranti recipes by state
• Rongali (Bohag) Bihu guide