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In Thailand coconut milk is prepared fresh as a daily ritual, and they think nothing of it. It is so basic an ingredient. However, nowadays tetrapacked or canned coconut milk is available easily in most countries, and can be easily accessed or even made at home if you have a lot of time at hand.Homemade Coconut Milk:
- Grind 2 fresh coconut kernels to a paste
- Add 8-10 cups hot water, cover and keep aside for an hour.
- Press out in a fine mesh.
- The thick creamy milk is called coconut cream
- Top froth is the true cream.
- Regrind the residue, and add another 4 cups water, stand and strain.
- This thinner second liquid is the coconut milk.
- Refrigerate and use as required through the day. Does not have keeping quality.
Tetrapacked:
This is an extrathick extract. To use one should dilute with approx. 1 cup hot water to get coconut cream and 2 to 2 = cups hot water to get coconut milk.Canned:
To get cream from the canned milk, do not shake can for some hours. Open can carefully, spoon off top froth which is coconut cream, resting on the liquid or coconut milk.Solidified:
These are dehydrated blocks of coconut milk, which look more or less like white soap cakes. One needs to follow manufacturers' instructions to make the milk and cream.Powder:
Coconut milk which is spraydried and marketed in the form of powder, is also very easy to use and carry, especially overseas where fresh ingredients are banned on flights. Just follow manufacturers' instructions to obtain the milk and cream.Dessicated coconut:
One may as a last resort make coconut milk from dessicated coconut. Grind to a powder, pour boiling water over it, keep aside for an hour or so. Strain out with a clean muslin cloth, keeping aside the liquid for another half hour, to spoon off froth or coconut cream, using the remaining liquid as coconut milk.
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