Surati Kopra Pak

Coconut fudge Surati style — freshly grated dry coconut cooked with sugar syrup to a precise thread consistency and flavoured with cardamom and a pinch of saffron, spread in a greased tray and cut into diamond pieces when set. The Surati kopra pak is harder and more intensely coconut-flavoured than the softer Maharashtrian coconut barfi; the higher sugar concentration and the use of dry rather than fresh coconut gives it a longer shelf life and a more caramel-forward depth from the coconut's natural sugars caramelising. Made at Diwali and Navratri in home kitchens and by Surati sweet shops; distributed to neighbours as the classic Surati mithai gift alongside ghari and sutarfeni.