I don’t think you’ll find, on my blog, other recipe with just two ingredients – coconut and water.
In India, we are using a lot coconut milk, coconut oil or fresh coconut, for cooking. It is not very expensive to buy canned coconut milk here, but I think it’s healthier the fresh one, prepared at home (free of preservatives).
If canned coconut milk or fresh coconut is not easily available in your country, and you want to make your own coconut milk, then you can use dried (desiccated) shredded coconut. In this case, put dried coconut in hot water and let it soak for 20-30 minutes before blending it.
Coconut milk can be used in many ways – for curries, stews, sweets, smoothies, substitute for cow milk or simply sipping it on its own.
Here are some delicious Indian recipes and ideas for using coconut milk:
- Chicken coconut curry recipe – Chicken with coconut milk and spices
- Goan coconut chicken curry recipe
- Curried sweet potato soup with coconut milk
- Fried fish with coconut sauce
- Rawas (Indian salmon) in coconut gravy
Step by step coconut milk recipe – How to make coconut milk at home
Grate fresh coconut and heat water.
Put fresh shredded coconut in a blender and add warm water.
Blend for 2-3 minutes until thick and creamy.
If using dried shredded coconut, you will have to soak it in hot water until the water gets warm (for 20-30 minutes). Only after it’s been soaked you can blend it together with the water.
Use a fine strainer or a muslin cloth to extract the milk. This thick coconut milk obtained is the first extract.
Add the coconut shreds back into the blender and add another cup of warm water. Repeat the process to get the second coconut milk extract, thin coconut milk.
You can stop here or you can go ahead and repeat the procedure and obtain a third extract of thin coconut milk.
Thin coconut milk can be used to boil and simmer and the thick coconut milk can be added in the end to curries.
When left to sit undisturbed, the thick coconut milk will separate into two layers – a semi-hard cream layer and a thin milk. Shake before using.
- 1 cup of fresh grated (shredded) coconut;
- 2 cups of warm water.
- Put shredded coconut in a blender and add warm water.
- Blend for 2-3 minutes until thick and creamy.
- If using dried shredded coconut, you will have to soak it in hot water until the water gets warm (for 20-30 minutes). Only after it's been soaked you can blend it together with the water.
- Use a fine strainer or a muslin cloth to extract the milk. This thick coconut milk obtained is the first extract.
- Add the coconut shreds back into the blender and add another cup of warm water. Repeat the process to get the second coconut milk extract, thin coconut milk.
- You can stop here or you can go ahead and repeat the procedure and obtain a third extract of thin coconut milk.
- Thin coconut milk can be used to boil and simmer and the thick coconut milk can be added in the end to curries or payasam. Never boil thick coconut milk as it will curdle.
- When left to sit undisturbed, the thick coconut milk will separate into two layers - a semi-hard cream layer and a thin milk. Shake before using.
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