Making Coconut Milk

Green Coconuts growing next door.

Some years ago I posted a photo of a rather odd looking contraption and asked people to guess what it was used for. Specifically this thing:

I had dozens of guesses (and some people really need to get their mind out of the gutter). Only one person, my pilot friend, guessed correctly. This device is used for grinding coconut meat. Like this:

Coconuts go through stages of development. The green ones usually have all liquid (coconut water) sometimes with a white gelatinous substance on the edges. These are commonly chilled and macheted open and drank with a straw.

As the coconut gets older it begins to develop brown spots. The liquid becomes less prominent and a solid white flesh develops inside. It is usually separated out from its outer husk then.

And the inside looks like this:

To make coconut milk the inside flesh must be ground up.

Once that is done my husband adds about one cup of water and lets it soak in for one hour. Then he strains it with a cheese cloth into a pan or bowl.

And now you have coconut milk. Here is one of my favorite recipes.

Massaman curry

1-2 potatoes, cubed

1-2 carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups chopped chicken breast, or extra firm tofu

2 tablespoons massaman curry

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 cups coconut milk (one 14 ounce can)

1 cup water

Salt to taste

In a large skillet or wok brown the onions and meat in oil with 1 tablespoon of curry. Add water and remaining ingredients. Serve over rice with soy sauce.

Happy eating…