15 July, 2022
How To Make Coconut Milk
Coconut milk made at home has a soothing flavour and a pleasing aroma, this wonderful drink is often used in South Indian recipes, especially in Kerala it is also a common ingredient in Thai cooking.
Though coconut milk is easily available in the market, a homemade one is healthy and more hygienic. I prefer making it at home when making any Thai or South Indian dishes that use coconut milk.
In my blog, I have used this white milk in Quick N Easy Coconut Curry Soup
How to make coconut milk?
Coconut milk is very simple and quick to make. All you need to do is grate the fresh coconut and transfer it to a mixer jar. Now, add warm water which will help the coconut soften. Blend it well. Place a muslin cloth or a thin strainer on a deep vessel. Strain the blended coconut through the strainer. Press with the spoon to extract the milk and use as needed.
Storing the Coconut Milk
- Coconut milk can be stored in a refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an air-tight container preferably a glass jar.
- It can be frozen in a freezer for 3 months.
- Just after removing it from the refrigerator give it a good shake before using it.
Do”s and Don’t with coconut milk
- If available prefer to use fresh coconut to prepare coconut milk.
- I always prepare three extracts , the last two extracts of thin milk go into making curries or making payasam and some time into making milkshakes.
- The first thick extract is added towards the end of the curries.
- Always remember the 2nd or 3rd extract can be boiled or simmered.
- The first extract cannot be boiled. If you boil the first thick extract, it will curdle.
- If using dry shredded coconut, then soak the coconut in warm water for a few hours and then blend.
How to use the coconut residue
- The leftover coconut residue can be roasted in an oven or pan, cool and ground into flour.
- This coconut flour can be added to cakes cookies and flour.
How to make coconut milk from the scratch
Here is a step-by-step post to make coconut milk, which many of you and I use in everyday cooking.
Recipe
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups grated fresh coconut
- 4 to 5 cups warm water
Method
- Take a fresh coconut and break it open. Collect the water in a glass and grate the white flesh with a hand grater. Here I have grated the white coconut flesh with a handheld grater.
- Take the grated coconut flesh into a blender jar. Pour1. 5 cups of hot water over the coconut. Allow the mixture to rest in the blender for a few minutes ( 1 to 2 minutes) to give the coconut time to soften. Blend until the coconut is pureed and the mixture looks milky.
- Pour the contents into a bowl or pan lined with a thin muslin or fine strainer.
- Strain the milk. Press with a spoon on the flesh so that all the milk is strained.
- What you get now is the THICK COCONUT MILK or the FIRST EXTRACT.
- Put the coconut meat in the blender again. Add 1 to 1.5 cups of water and blend again.
- Again strain the content in a different bowl or pan using the same strainer. Press with the spoon on the coconut meat again.
- This is the THIN COCONUT MILK it is the 2nd extract.
- Now it is up to you, if you want you can stop here or repeat the 6 and 7 steps again to get the 3 rd extract.
- You can keep the 2nd and 3rd extract separate or mix them up.
- Mostly while making curries I mix the 2nd and 3 rd extract.
- Now you have fresh homemade coconut milk ready which you can add in your cooking.
- You can keep the milk in the fridge. It stays good for 4 to 5 days
- The leftover coconut residue can be roasted in an oven or pan, cool and ground into coconut flour.
- This coconut flour can be added to cakes cookies and flour.