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1
Peel the taro and grate it raw on a fine grater into a large bowl. Grate the fresh coconut meat separately. Combine the grated taro, grated coconut, coconut water, and sugar. Mix until the batter is uniform. It will be dense and slightly adhesive. The smell at this stage is raw and starchy — not yet the finished dish.
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2
Grease the ti leaves thoroughly. Portion the batter onto the leaves and wrap tightly, folding and securing the parcels so no batter escapes during cooking. For oven method: arrange the parcels in a deep baking dish. Bake at 150–165 °C (300–330 °F) for a minimum of two hours and up to three. Do not open the parcels before two hours have elapsed.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies. In the final hour the caramelisation accelerates: the sugars in the taro and coconut deepen, the starches gel completely, and the texture transforms from batter to a dense, chewy solid. Do not pull the kūlolo early. At hour one the interior is still a wet, starchy mass. At hour three it is kūlolo. Continue until the unwrapped parcel reveals a colour of deep amber to dark brown throughout, with a darker crust on the surface, and the interior resists the initial press of a finger before yielding — firm, not wet.
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4
Remove the parcels from the heat and allow them to cool before unwrapping fully. The texture will firm further as it rests. The finished kūlolo should be dense and slightly sticky, similar to firm mochi or dry fudge, with visible shreds of grated coconut throughout. The aroma should be warm caramelised taro with toasted coconut. Slice and serve warm, or at room temperature alongside haupia ice cream in the manner of Waiahole Poi Factory's Sweet Lady of Waiahole.