Coconut milk is a product that isdoes not exist in nature. Yes, you heard right. The juice that is inside the coconut is not it at all, as many people probably think. Coconut milk is the result of “processing” coconut pulp. To obtain it, the pulp is crushed and filled with water. The resulting infusion is the very coconut milk without which it is impossible to imagine Asian cuisine today. Recipes containing coconut milk make up a large group in the cuisines of India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brazil. Varying in thickness, it is used for both first courses (more liquid) and second courses (thicker). And of course, various sweets are made from it. Coconut milk gives dishes a delicate characteristic flavor. Many recipes with coconut milk include such an ingredient as turmeric. It is also a hallmark of Asian cuisine. The most famous dish combining these two products is undoubtedly curry.
Curry Indian
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp. mustard (grains)
- 1 tsp fenugreek
- 1 tbsp. l. ground coriander
- 1 tbsp. l. cayenne pepper (spicy paprika)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp. l. grated ginger
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 3 onions
- 1 tsp salt
- 300 ml of coconut milk
- 5 -6 large tomatoes
Method of preparation:Pour oil into a frying pan with a thick bottom and heat it up. Throw mustard seeds, fenugreek and coriander into the hot oil. When the seeds start to crackle, add chopped onion (you can use a blender or just grate it), finely chopped garlic and grated ginger. Wait until the aroma is mind-blowing (the main thing is not to get carried away and not let the mixture burn) and add turmeric and cayenne pepper. Add tomatoes, previously peeled and chopped.* Pour coconut milk over it all. Salt. And simmer for 15-20 minutes over low heat. The result should be a thick brown sauce. The resulting sauce can be used as intended - as a seasoning for boiled rice. Basmati, of course. This is the best rice from the point of view of Ayurveda and Vedic cuisine. Or to meat, fish and those products that you are used to pouring mayonnaise and ketchup on. The sauce should not be stored for a long time, a couple of days at most. If you have a lot, you can freeze it in portions. And take it out of the freezer as needed. *A little about tomatoes. It is not difficult to peel the skin off tomatoes. You need to dip them in boiling water for half a minute, then make a crosswise cut and peel the skin. It comes off easily. The second option is very convenient in cases like the one described above, when the tomato also needs to be chopped. Cut the tomato into two halves and grate it. Naturally, grate with the side without the skin. The skin will remain in your hands, and the blender can rest!
Original soup recipe
Now let's make Thai soup with coconut milk - Coconut soup with figs You will need:
- 700 ml of coconut milk
- A quarter of fresh coconut
- Slice of chicken fillet (ok.200 g)
- 4 figs of fruit
- Half-lime zest
- Spices: turmeric, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, white pepper, salt
Preparation:Cut the chicken fillet into pieces, rub with turmeric. Let it marinate for a while, and fry in oil until done. Set aside. Thinly slice the cooled meat. Cut the coconut flesh into cubes, pour in coconut milk and simmer for about half an hour until soft. Add the figs, cut into large slices. Boil for a few more minutes, add salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Pour the soup into bowls, add the chicken. Sprinkle with lime zest and serve. In addition to curry and soups, coconut milk can be used to make delicious desserts, such as ice cream. It can be drunk on its own by those who do not like or cannot tolerate cow's milk. The main suppliers of the product in canned form to Europe and Russia are Thailand and the Philippines. However, you can also make it yourself. It is better if you use fresh coconut as a base. But dry coconut flakes will do as well. Fresh pulp needs to be chopped (again - blender, grater: to your taste). For a glass of coconut flakes, you need to take two glasses of water. Pour hot water over the shavings and leave for half an hour. During this time, it will swell and absorb the water. After half an hour, you need to force the coconut pulp to give us the water that has absorbed all the benefits of the coconut. We do this with the help of gauze: lay out the shavings and squeeze out the liquid. Dry, as much as you can. Here, a man's will come in very handy. The second option is to chop the swollen shavings in a blender and strain through a sieve. If you took fresh coconut, the milk will be fatter, after settling, it will separate into cream and a more liquid substance. For taste, you can add honey, vanilla extract. You should not store such milk for a long time, it is better to immediately eat, cook soups and sauces. You can use the shavings (especially fresh ones) in baking instead of throwing them away. We recommend reading:
