STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE
Many dishes and desserts require coconut cream or coconut milk to give it a richer taste or “lemakness” from the high-fat content.
Fresh coconut milk is always sweet and more fragrant than store-bought versions, and come with no additives and preservatives. So if you have the time, why not try making your own freshly squeezed coconut milk! You can use this to make dishes like chicken curry and fish head curry or desserts like burbur chacha and Thai red ruby!
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Learn how easy it is to prepare freshly squeezed coconut cream and coconut milk!
TRICK OF THE TRADE
There will be two rounds of extraction, the first will produce the heavier coconut cream whilst the second round will result in a light and fresh coconut milk. Coconut cream is thicker and denser because it comes from a 1:4 ratio of water to coconut. Whereas the milk, which is less opaque, has a consistency similar to animal milk or other milk substitutes and is made from mixing one part coconut to one part water.
COCONUT CREAM VS COCONUT MILK
There are different uses for both coconut cream and coconut milk. Coconut cream or santan is mostly used in the base of most Asian curries. It helps to lower the spice levels while giving it that velvety texture. Coconut cream can also be used as a dairy-free substitute for cream in desserts.
On the other hand, coconut milk is used as a milk substitute in coffee or in food if people do not enjoy the thickness of coconut cream.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 freshly grated coconut
- 100ml warm water
- 500ml boiled (cooled) water
- A pinch of salt
HOW TO MAKE COCONUT CREAM AND MILK FROM SCRATCH
Ingredients to make coconut cream and coconut milk
- Add the warm water to the grated coconut and mix well. Give the pulp a few squeezes to extract the flavours to prepare it for extraction and sieve the mixture over a bowl. This 1st round of extraction produces coconut cream or santan which is thick, creamy and has a high-fat content.
Squeeze the grated coconut hard to extract the juices.
You can even “rub” it together to extract even more flavour!
- For the 2nd round of extraction, add 500ml of boiled water (that has been cooled) to the grated coconut. Repeat like how you did the first time, squeezing and sieving the mixture. This second round produces a lighter coconut milk, unlike the santan.
Use a sieve to help filter the grated coconut from the milk.
- Add a pinch of salt to the coconut cream, as well as to the coconut milk. Leave in the fridge until it is ready to cook. The coconut cream and coconut milk can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days and in the freezer for 2-3 weeks after extraction.
MARKETING TIPS
- You can get freshly grated coconut from the wet market.
COOKING TIPS
- Using warm water in the first extraction makes it easier to bring out the coconut cream.
- Instead of using your hands and a sieve, you can choose to use a cheesecloth or muslin for extraction.
- Coconut milk needs to be refrigerated immediately as it turns rancid quickly especially in warm climates.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS
- Egg-Free: No modifications needed.
- Fish-Free: No modifications needed.
- Gluten-Free: No modifications needed.
- Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
- Shellfish-Free: No modifications needed.
- Vegan: No modifications needed.
- Vegetarian: No modifications needed
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Fresh Coconut Cream (Santan)/Coconut Milk (自制椰子奶油和奶)
Ingredients
- 1 Freshly Grated Coconut
- 100 ml Warm Water
- 500 ml Boiled Water cooled
- a pinch Salt
Instructions
- Add the warm water to the grated coconut and mix well. Give the pulp a few squeezes to extract the flavours to prepare it for extraction and sieve the mixture over a bowl. This 1st round of extraction produces coconut cream or santan which is thick, creamy and has a high-fat content.
- For the 2nd round of extraction, add 500ml of boiled water (that has been cooled) to the grated coconut. Repeat like how you did the first time, squeezing and sieving the mixture. This second round produces a lighter coconut milk, unlike the santan.
- Add a pinch of salt to the coconut cream, as well as to the coconut milk. Leave in the fridge until it is ready to cook. The coconut cream and coconut milk can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days and in the freezer for 2-3 weeks after extraction.
Notes
MARKETING TIPS
- You can get freshly grated coconut from the wet market.
- You can also buy the freshly squeezed coconut milk (first pressed) from certain market
COOKING TIPS
- Using warm water makes it easier to extract the coconut cream from the coconut.
- Instead of using your hands and a sieve, you can choose to use a cheesecloth or muslin for extraction.
- Coconut milk needs to be refrigerated immediately as it turns rancid quickly especially in warm climates.
- Need to add salt to prevent it from getting rancid fast. Salt also brings out the fragrance of the coconut milk and it does not make you feel very 'jelak' and bloated especially when it is use to make dessert.
wow i like china foods thanks for sharing