Batasa-like Kopra Pak (White Coconut Fudge)

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Granulated sugar (Originally '3 Sher'. Use white Mauritius sugar or standard granulated sugar.)
• 1 pound Fresh coconut (grated) (Originally '1 Sher'. Use only the white part, finely grated. Coconut should be mature but juicy, not too young or too dry.)
• 2 teaspoons Cardamom seeds (Originally '0.5 tola'. Coarsely crushed.)
• 1 1/4 cups Rose water (Originally '0.5 pint'. Use high quality rose water.)

Instructions

1. 1Select a coconut that is mature but juicy (not dry and old, nor too young and tender). Grate only the pure white flesh using a fine grater, avoiding any brown skin. Weigh out the required amount.
2. 2In a tin-lined or heavy-bottomed pan, mix the grated coconut and sugar lightly with your hands. Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Stir constantly and gently from all sides with a spoon/ladle. Do not stop stirring, as the mixture must not stick or brown at all; it must remain perfectly white.
3. 3As soon as the sugar begins to melt, pour in the rose water. Do not stop stirring. At this stage, stir vigorously in a circular motion to incorporate air. Do not stir haphazardly; use a strong, consistent circular motion.
4. 4When bubbles begin to appear in the mixture, have a second person sprinkle in the crushed cardamom seeds while you continue to stir vigorously without pausing. Continue stirring until the mixture blooms and puffs up significantly.
5. 5Once the mixture has puffed up, immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents into the center of a large, clean platter or tray without stopping. Important: Do not shake or move the tray after pouring, as this will cause the aerated mixture to collapse. Do not scrape the remaining mixture from the pan into the tray, as it will ruin the texture.
6. 6Shortly after pouring, while the mixture is still warm, use a hard bread knife to cut it into large diamond shapes. Ensure you cut all the way down to the bottom of the tray. This must be done before it cools, otherwise, the sweet will become brittle and crumble instead of cutting cleanly. Allow to cool completely before carefully removing the pieces. The bottom layer should be crisp like a Batasa (meringue) and the interior should be porous.