How to make coconut milk at home?

02 Sep How to make coconut milk at home?

Posted at 09:52h in Beverages, Glutenfree Recipes, Vegan Recipes by blessmyfoodbypayal 14 Comments

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Last Updated on August 5, 2021 by blessmyfoodbypayal

How to make coconut milk at home | homemade fresh coconut milk recipe with step wise pictorial and video method.

WHAT IS COCONUT MILK ?

Like coconut water, coconut milk is not the natural ingredient found inside coconut.

Coconut milk is man made product which is made from white flesh of mature brown coconuts plus water.

Mainly thick in consistency, this milk has a rich and creamy texture.

COCONUT MILK V/S DAIRY MILK

Dairy milk is the produce of animals whereas coconut milk is plant based milk, making it suitable for vegans or those allergic to dairy products.

It has now become the staple food of vegan lifestyle and most elaborately used in beverages to main course to desserts.

Most popular in Hawaii, India and certain South American and Caribbean countries, coconut milk is extensively used in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisines.

Majority of the south Indian cuisine is based on coconut milk and almost every second recipe is coconut based, either it be coconut milk or coconut itself.

CATEGORIES OF COCONUT MILK

Coconut milk is traditionally divided into two categories:

Thick coconut milk and
Thin coconut milk.

THICK coconut milk, which is also termed as coconut cream has high fat content ranging from 20% to 50% and this is the reason it is quite thick in consistency.

This is thick for the reason it is the outcome of first extract of coconut.

THIN Coconut milk, being the second extract contains lesser fat content between 5% to 20% fat.

What does the word extract stands for, can better be understood on the perusal of the recipe given below.

It is germane to mention here that few goes to the extent of preparing the 3rd extract and termed as THINNEST coconut milk.

However going for it is your own choice.

UNDERSTANDING THE HANDLING OF COCONUT MILK

In the preceding paragraph, we were talking about classification of coconut milk. So depending upon their classification, there’s also a difference in use of coconut milk.

First extract i.e. Thick milk or coconut cream shouldn’t be boiled. If you boil it, it will curdle.

So this milk is used anywhere, where recipe is not asking for boiling coconut milk.

On the other hand, 2nd extract or thin coconut milk and if you go for 3rd extract ie. thinnest milk can easily be boiled. All the curries are made using 2nd or 3rd coconut milk.

What we stated above doesn’t mean thick milk can’t be added in curries and gravies. But you can add only at the end of cooking process, where there’s no cooking left.

CAN WE CONVERT THICK COCONUT MILK TO THIN COCONUT MILK ?

In case you need coconut milk for a recipe where milk needs to be boiled, and you have only thick milk, you can easily convert milk from thick to thin.

Just add water to the thin coconut milk and thin coconut milk is ready.

COCONUT RESIDUE

Never think the leftover coconut residue is a waste. It can be used comfortably in your cooking like chana dal or coconut burfi.

HOW TO PRESERVE HOMEMADE COCONUT MILK?

Follow these tips to store coconut milk :

Pour coconut milk in a clean plastic or glass bottle.
Bottle should be air tight.
Coconut milk should always be refrigerated
In refrigerator, coconut milk stays good for 4 days. Better finish it by the end of 4th day.
In case you don’t have the immediate utility of coconut milk or some of the milk is left, freeze it.
Freezed coconut milk stays good for upto 3 months.

HOW TO USE REFRIGERATED/FROZEN COCONUT MILK?

While the milk is in refrigerator, you will witness a separate layer of water and milk. Fats in milk tend to float the milk on top and it is quite normal.

Just shake an unopened milk or stir the open one, and milk gets mixes. Simple.

Let’s move on to freezed coconut milk.

If you are intending to use the frozen milk, better transfer it from frezer to fridge and let the milk thaw.

This defrosting may take a time of overnight and once milk comes to normal liquid, use it.

Also see

Step wise pictorial recipe of homemade coconut milk

Crack a coconut shell and take out coconut and (coconut) water out of it.
Wash coconut and filter coconut water too.
Roughly chop coconut and put in a blender jar. Alternatively you can also grate coconut.
Add Coconut water and 1.5 cup of (regular) water in jar.
Blitz very fine.
Strain this mixture through a muslin cloth and separate the liquid into a bowl.
This is the first extract called as thick coconut milk.
Again put the coconut leftover in blender and add 1.5 cup of more water.
Blend one more time.
Strain. This is second extract called thin coconut milk.

So here we have 2 versions of coconut milk. Thick and thin. Keep them separate and use in your cooking the way you want.