Malaysian-Indian Coconut Candy

I may be working on eating healthier these days but who could possibly resist a delicious treat. Indian coconut candies are one of my guilty pleasures.

I’ve tried this recipe over a stove a couple of times but the biggest downside is the risk of burning the coconut if you do not stir often enough.

Here is the same recipe but with a twist: a microwave oven.

You will need:

-1kg of grated coconut
-200ml of evaporated milk
-250ml of condensed milk
-450g of caster sugar (brown sugar works too but is a bit on the sour side)
-1 tablespoon of ghee
-1 teaspoon of food colouring (traditionally pink, green, coloured rose or pandan flavour is used but I like the colour yellow, used in this tutorial)
-1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
-A pinch of salt
-1 egg white, beaten lightly

Instructions:

Line a 9”x9” microwave safe tray with aluminium foil.

Mix all the ingredients evenly together and put it in the tray.

Set your microwave on “High” or 1000W for 30 minutes, and put the tray in the microwave.

Stir the mixture every 5 minutes until it begins to thicken. Depending on the wattage of your microwave, you might need more or less time to cook.

You should keep an eye out for the mixture to see if it looks more matte. Notice if it begins leaving the sides of the tray then start to lump together.

To determine if your candy is ready, roll a teaspoon into a ball (be careful, don’t burn yourself!) and drop the ball into a glass of water. If it does not fall apart, then it is ready.

Line a shallow baking tray with baking paper, then flatten the mixture evenly with a spatula, or with a gloved hand. Once again, don’t burn yourself.

Let the candy cool in the fridge overnight. Once it’s cool get a sharp knife or pizza cutter oiled up with ghee and cut the candy into squares.

The candy is ready to be served. Or else you may store it in an airtight container.

Please don’t mind the shard of coconut on my chin…

I hope you enjoy this recipe, feel free to let me know if you managed to try it out!