[FOODIES CORNER] How to make Nigerian Toasted Coconut Candy

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This Nigerian coconut candy is a favourite street snack among Nigerians and can be eaten on its own or served as a topping for ice cream, yoghurt, or even garri.

Nigerians enjoy their street food! Sweet, savoury, spicy, salty, and even bitter can all be found on the correct street corner or along the roadside. This Nigerian coconut sweet is a famous street food loved by people across the country.

How to Make Toasted Coconut Candy

This recipe is quite simple especially since you will not need a lot of ingredients. All you will need are a single coconut, some salt and some sugar.

To extract the meat from the coconut, hit the coconut in the middle (between the eyes and the pointy tip) over a bowl preferably with a hammer, or with a blunt heavy object. Rotate the coconut making sure you are still hitting the middle until it cracks into halves.

cut pieces of fresh coconut meat in a tray

You might be able to simply pry the flesh of the coconut off the hard shell with a butter knife. If this is somewhat difficult to do, simply place the coconut in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes, and the shell should come off easily with a butter knife once it is out of the oven.

fresh coconut meat in a tray beside a box grater

Using the medium side of a box grater, shred the coconut meat

Set a large, dry pan on the cooker on medium heat and place the shredded coconut flakes with half a cup of sugar and a quarter teaspoon of salt. Stir continuously

coconut shreds in a pan with salt and sugar

Once the coconut begins to brown at the tip, turn the heat down to low, and continue to stir and toast until it turns golden brown. You will notice the coconut shreds begin to dry as the moisture is slowly absorbed. Once the shreds are no longer moist, your coconut candy is done!

stirring coconut shreds in pan until golden brown

If you do not have a pan large enough to fit in all the coconut, split the ingredients into three, and make the coconut candy in batches

stirring coconut shreds in pan until brown and dry

Allow to cool before serving.

toasted coconut candy in a pan

Nigerian coconut candy can be eaten by itself, or can be served as a topping for ice-cream, yogurt, and even with garri.