Coconut milk

A sweet liquid of a milky-white hue, obtained by processing the pulp of mature coconuts, is called coconut milk or coconut milk.

Milk obtained from coconuts is widely used in oriental cooking. Indonesians, Brunei and Malaysians call this drink "santan", and the Filipinos - "gata".

• Coconut milk contains a large amount of coarse fiber, which improves digestion and helps to quickly remove processed foods from the intestines. That is why the use of such a drink improves metabolism and has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract.
• There is no cholesterol in a drink made from coconut fruits, so it is completely harmless in case of cardiovascular diseases, which compares favorably with cow's milk.
• Due to the potassium in its composition, its regular use normalizes blood pressure.
• The drink is rich in lauric acid, which helps the body fight bacteria and viruses, as well as strengthen the immune system.
• Coconut milk contains cytokines, which have a rejuvenating effect. They also prevent the development of cancer and the formation of blood clots.
• Coconut milk can serve as an excellent substitute for cow's milk and is recommended for intolerance to animal proteins.
• It is a valuable source of vitamins (the drink contains vitamins C, B, E, A), so its use increases tone and eliminates fatigue.
• The sweet taste is provided by the presence of fructose, so people with diabetes can enrich their diet with coconut milk. In addition, the presence of manganese contributes to some decrease in blood glucose levels.
• It has been proven that coconut milk is a good prophylactic against diseases of the digestive tract. The drink is recommended for peptic ulcer and gastritis.
• Phosphates obtained by the body from coconut milk are important for bone strength, and the presence of magnesium in the composition helps to reduce nervousness, relieve muscle tension and normalize sleep.
• Since the drink is quite satisfying and quickly eliminates the feeling of hunger, it is advised for obesity.
• Use favorably affects the functioning of the thyroid gland.
• Coconut milk is in demand in cosmetology. It is used for acne (for washing) and to strengthen weakened hair, and is also applied before going to the beach.

You can learn more about the benefits of coconut milk from the video.

Judging by the composition of the drink, it should not have harmful properties, but there are opponents of coconut milk who claim that this is an alien exotic product, therefore it is useless or even harmful to the body of Russians. Note that such statements are subjective and not supported by science.

Milk derived from coconuts should not be consumed with fructose intolerance. People with this problem may develop rashes and diarrhea from this drink.

In appearance, coconut milk is very similar to liquid sour cream. It has a white color, a light sweet aftertaste and a delicate coconut aroma. The density of the drink may vary - a thicker liquid is more often used for sauces and desserts, and a less thick one is added to soups and main dishes.

100 grams of fresh coconut milk contains an average of 230 kilocalories. A tablespoon will give you 41.4 calories.

• In percentage terms, the nutrients in the drink are 4 percent protein, 27 percent fat, and 6 percent carbohydrates.
• Canned coconut milk has a slightly lower calorie content - about 200 kcal. Its tablespoon contains 35 kcal.

• If the drink contains antioxidants and preservatives, it is less useful.
• Watch the fat content of the milk you buy. A fatter product is added to soups, desserts, sauces. It can be diluted with water 1:2 or 1:3.
• It is best to buy jars that are small in volume, since open milk should be stored for up to 3 days in a refrigerator.
• If the coconut milk has been refrigerated and has thickened, soak the can of the drink in hot water for a few minutes, then shake well.

A product such as coconut milk is quite possible to cook at home.To do this, you just need to choose a good coconut and know how to open it. Having obtained snow-white pulp, it is very simple to prepare coconut milk. You can get about a glass of milk from a medium coconut.

Expensive store-bought coconut milk can easily be replaced with homemade coconut milk. To obtain it, you can use two methods, having received a liquid:

1. From fresh coconut fruits;
2. From coconut flakes.

• We choose a mature coconut in the store.
• We open the fruit and extract its white pulp. How to open a coconut, we wrote in the last article.
• We rub the pulp in a blender or food processor.
• Add hot water in a ratio of 1 to 2 (two cups of boiling water per glass of coconut).
• Blend grated coconut with water in a blender.
• We filter the resulting mass. The resulting liquid is coconut milk.

You can see the preparation of coconut milk from coconut pulp in the following video.

• We take in equal parts coconut flakes and water or regular milk.
• We heat them in a saucepan, but do not bring to a boil.
• Strain through cheesecloth or sieve.
• Put the rest of the chips in cheesecloth and wring out. Ready.

Homemade coconut milk can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or frozen.

In dry form, milk obtained from the pulp of coconuts is a white powder that has a yellowish tinge.

Before use, such a powder is diluted by taking about two to three tablespoons per 200-250 ml of water.

It is used in cooking, adding to soups, pastries and other dishes. The advantages of this type of coconut milk are convenience and long shelf life. It is in this form that it is sent for export.

To obtain dried coconut milk, the pulp of coconut fruits is dried and crushed, obtaining a sweetish natural product that retains all the benefits of the pulp of these nuts. This powder does not contain preservatives, dyes and other artificial additives. Since the grain size of the finished product is 50-150 microns, such a powder can be sieved using a sieve.

Such a sweet product can serve as a delicious topping or become an ingredient in dessert. The advantage of such condensed milk is that it is a vegan product and is easy to prepare at home.

You need these components:

• coconut milk - 400 ml;
• unrefined sugar or any substitute for it - 0.25 cups.

Pour milk into a metal container and bring to a boil, reduce heat, add sweetener, stir and let simmer for about 40 minutes. When you notice that the amount of coconut milk has halved, remove the container from the heat and pour the contents into a jar, leaving it to cool completely. Store this condensed milk in the refrigerator for up to one week.

• If earlier coconut milk was in demand only in Asian cuisine, now it is used all over the world, adding it to cocktails, soups, pastries, desserts and other dishes.
• Unlike animal milk, coconut milk does not curdle during heat treatment.
• Adding it to a dish gives it an exotic aroma, creamy taste and velvety. The use of this milk softens the sharp taste of the dish, and in desserts it adds sweetness.
• Sweetish sauces for poultry or beef are often prepared from such milk.
• Coconut milk goes well with seafood.
• Rice cooked on it is a popular Thai side dish.
• In baking recipes, they can replace cow's. We recommend trying to cook pancakes on it, a good filling for which would be an orange or a banana.
• Coconut milk can be added to coffee and tea.

Take:

• 2 chicken fillets;
• 1 onion;
• 250 ml coconut milk;
• garlic (a few cloves);
• olive oil (50 ml);
• a little dill, salt, dry herbs and other spices to taste.

Beat the chicken fillet, rub it with spices and salt, leaving the chicken to soak for a while. Meanwhile, sauté the crushed garlic in the olive oil in a saucepan and discard (this is to flavor the oil). Put the fillet in the oil and fry on both sides, then add the chopped onion to the saucepan, simmer the chicken and onion under the lid for about 15 minutes, pour all over with coconut milk and bring to a boil. After adding chopped dill to the saucepan, reduce the heat and simmer the dish until the sauce thickens.

Take:

• two medium chicken legs;
• 400 ml of coconut milk;
• 5 teaspoons spoons of red curry;
• one walnut;
• half tea. spoons of red pepper and nutmeg;
• one and a half teaspoons spoons of salt;
• three teas. spoons of sugar.

Fry the legs in a deep frying pan until tender. Mix all the ingredients of the sauce, pour over the chicken and simmer it for half an hour over low heat, then hold it for another 20 minutes in the oven. Serve with boiled rice.

For the first time, a drink such as coconut milk appeared in Thailand as a replacement for dairy products that Thais do not consume. Especially often in Thailand, milk from coconuts is added to the soup, for which there are a large number of recipes.

Milk made from coconut meat is an excellent base for soup. It is very easy to prepare cream soup with this milk, just combine coconut milk and a little vegetable broth, add seafood or chicken, as well as spices, and bring to a boil.

There are 2 main options for soup with coconut milk:

1. Chicken;
2. With seafood.

The first option is prepared with chicken meat, and the second - with a sea cocktail or fish.

Consider common soup recipes that contain coconut milk:

• Tom Yam Kha Thalei - brewed from seafood.
• Tom Yum Kha Pla - boiled from fish (it can be a completely different fish, for example, salmon or perch).

Bring 400 ml coconut to a boil. milk, add chopped ginger root and lemongrass, 200 g fresh champignons; after 5 minutes, add 450 g of peeled shrimp, crushed two cloves of garlic, diced two tomatoes, sugar and vegetable oil (one tablespoon each), fish sauce (two tablespoons) and chopped chili pepper.

After boiling the soup for 2 minutes, knead the kaffir lime leaves in your hands, add chopped greens and lime juice to it when serving.

Boil the sliced ​​chicken fillet (500 g) in 200 ml of water for five minutes, then add 400 ml of coconut milk and, after boiling for about 7 minutes, add the same ingredients that were added to the shrimp soup (lemongrass, fish sauce, pepper chili, ginger, etc.).

After 3 minutes, turn off the heat, let the soup stand for about 10 minutes and, when serving, add greens and lime juice to the plates. Mushrooms and diced tomatoes can also be added to this soup.

• 1 cup coconut. milk;
• 1 banana;
• 1 apple.

Slice fruit and pour over coconut milk. You can add other fruits as well.

• 100 g strawberries;
• 200 g blueberries;
• 400 ml coconut. milk;
• 80 g sugar (preferably brown);
• 200 ml of milk;
• 20 g coconut. shavings.

Place the berries in a blender, add regular and coconut milk, sugar to taste and beat. Pouring into glasses, garnish with shavings.

Due to its nutritional content, coconut milk for hair is used topically:

• The product gives the hair roots the substances they need to grow.
• It can be used with any type of hair.
• By massaging your head with coconut milk, you will get rid of itching, dryness and dandruff.
• Coconut milk is recommended for brittle hair and split ends.
• On a trip to the sea coast, it will help protect your hair from sunlight and sea water salts.
• Means with it effectively help to moisturize and strengthen the hair after chemotherapy. curling or dyeing.
• It has the ability to straighten hair.

You can make a nourishing coconut hair mask at home:

• Mix water and coconut in a blender. milk;
• evenly distribute the liquid on wet hair;
• wash off with water after 5 minutes.

If you want to lighten your hair, add two teaspoons to 100 ml of coconut oil. spoons of lemon juice, warm a little and beat a little, then apply on the head, wrap it with a towel for 15-20 minutes.

To restore shine to your hair, you can mix coconut. milk and coconut. oil, add the yolk, beat everything until smooth and apply to slightly damp hair, and after half an hour wash your hair.

To straighten hair, mix coconut. milk with lemon juice (a few teaspoons), add lavender oil (a few drops). After keeping the mixture in the refrigerator, apply it to the hair in a thick form, hold for about an hour and rinse.