What you'll need for this recipe, and why you'll need it: 1 whole coconut (a good source of protein, iron and zinc which will help your body rebuild cells, help transfer oxygen throught your system giving you more energy while also giving your immune system a boost...also it gives nice texture and that tropical feel...oh and there are loads more reasons for including coconut in your diet) 1 1/2 cups sugar We're just using sugar as a binder in this recipe. The zest of one orange Because just 6g of the stuff has 14% your RDI...that seems like a good reason to me. 1 tbsp curry (I used a hot madras curry powder) see cumin and tumeric 1 tbsp ginger (fresh or powdered) Reduces pain, anti-inflammatory, boosts appetite, aids digestion, flavorful and tastes of the tropics. What's not to like? 1/2 tsp of cumin Good for anti-glycation, as an antioxidant AND it is antiseptic.  1/2 tsp chili powder or cayenne Filled with capsaicin, these reduce pain, inflammation, phlegm and and a whole bunch of other things. 1/2 tsp turmeric Anti-inflammatory, packed with anti-oxidants, full of vitamins A/C/E (because it's Ace!). 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (or ground mustard if you wont be using a food processor) reduces pain and breaks up congestion 1/4 tsp garlic (fresh, powder or granules) antiseptic, anti fungal, full of powerful cold and flu fighting ingredients...can you really doubt garlic? 1/4 tsp salt Also, you will need some parchment or wax paper. Cross-referenced sources: Coconut 12  Orange Zest 12 Ginger 123 4 Cumin 123 Chili Pepper or Cayenne 12 3 Turmeric 12 3 Mustard 12  Garlic 12 3

Put a hole in each of the "monkey eyes" on your coconut, drain all of the liquid and set it aside. Crack open your coconut* and remove the meat from the shell. *if you open your coconut nicely, you can use the shell to make other Instructables like this, this, this, that, this, this-other-thing, Whoa-this-thing, also there is this, that and many more. If you split your coconut nicely in half, you can also use it as a candy bowl at the end of this Instructable.

Ok, now is the time when you combine most of your ingredients. Start by shredding your coconut in a food processor (but If you don't have one you can use a normal grater instead). Add the zest of one orange, 1 tbsp curry, 1 tbsp ginger, 1/2 tsp of cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/4 tsp garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt to the coconut. Pulse the food processor some more until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined (of course if you don't have a food processor then just use a fork...or something).

Mix the 1 1/2 cups of sugar with the coconut water you've taken and boil it on medium heat for about 15 minutes to get rid of most of the water and turn the sugar to a liquid. Easy, no?

Now, that hopefully most of the water has evaporated from your coconut/water mixture, it is time to toss your shredded coconut and spice mixture into it. Stir this for 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and relatively free of liquid; if you slide all of the mixture to one side of the pan, there should be very little liquid ( or none) which flows into the half of the pan with nothing in it.

So it's about time you did something with that ooey, gooey, mixture in the pan. Prepare two sheets of parchment paper, about the size you would use on an average size cookie sheet. Pour the coconut, sugar, spice mixture on one of the sheets and place the other sheet on top. Use a rolling pin to get an even thickness...about 4mm thick.

Now you have a decision to make: do you want your candy right away or do you want to wait for two whole days? if you want your candy right now then continue on with this step, if you can wait then skip to the next step. Whichever you choose, your decision will not change the taste of your candy. Choosing the next step will result in a harder candy though. Apparently you're an impatient person who just wants their candy now. I like your style. Remove the top layer of parchment paper from your candy sheet and roll the whole thing into a log, rolling it a little and pulling back the parchment, and repeating. (sorry there are no pictures because this but it takes both hands). Cut your roll lengthwise down the middle and then into even sections about 1 1/2 cm thick. Cut a whole bunch of little squares out of parchment or wax paper (one for each section of candy you've cut). Place each section of candy on each square of parchment or wax paper. Roll the paper around the candy and then twist the sides (like in the picture).

If you have chosen to finalize your candy using this step, you must be very patient...and also you don't like having delicious things in your mouth. I do not envy you. For this step: Begin by removing the top layer of parchment paper (if you haven't already). Cut your ooey-gooey candy sheet into diamonds. Leave the candy in a cool, dry place for 2 days. Try to cover it so that the candy can dry out but so that no bugs want to feast on the candy you so patiently await. If you like, you can sprinkle fresh or toasted coconut and/or orange or lime zest on top of the candy (that you won't get to eat for 2 days).

Now, whether you are patient or not, you should have some candy to help you fight off a wintertime sick and put a taste of the tropics into your mouth.  ...and if you didn't smash your coconut shell too much, you can put your candy into it as I did. Store your savory/spicy/sweet(but not too sweet) candy in your refrigerator. After they cool, they should have the approximate consistency of tiny granola bars. Please leave me any questions, comments or reviews (if you happen to make this Instructable). Happy candy-making to you and stay healthy.