When we’re in the thick of winter and staring at a snow-drenched landscape, it’s nice to add a bit of tropical flair to our menu. One of my favorite instant-tropics ingredients to use is coconut milk–I love to crack open a can and find different ways to enjoy my pseudo-Caribbean-holiday.
Regarding coconut oil, coconut milk, and “light” coconut milk: the milk is squeezed from freshly-grated flesh–the “light” milk is from the second press–while the oil is pressed out of dried flesh. This makes their nutritional profiles very different since coconut milk is more of a complete food and contains more of the nutrients than the oil does. “Light” coconut milk has had water added to it and has lost many of its nutrients since it’s from the second press of the flesh. Given the latter, I’d rather dilute my own whole coconut milk…and besides, why pay extra for water? The same size can of whole coconut milk is generally the same price. (Interesting note: the antiviral, antibacterial, very protective lauric fatty acid in both coconut milk and oil is found in only one other substance on Earth: breast milk.) Whole coconut milk actually separates during storage (just like natural peanut butter), so you’ll have to stir it together before using. I find that it’s easiest to spoon the milk into an empty screw-jar container (i.e., applesauce) and then shake it to combine. You might also want to add a bit of water at that point to make it thinner and more manageable.
To add variety to your diet, try substituting coconut milk in cases where you’d normally use whole milk or heavy cream. (Note: because it isn’t a dairy product, lactose-intolerant folks can enjoy coconut milk.) Chilled fruit soups, for example, are better off with coconut milk; tropical smoothies only need a tablespoon of it per glass to make them creamy. Drizzle a tablespoon or two over a slice of cake rather than dousing it in whipped cream. Or you can use 1/4 cup of coconut milk to add a hint of the exotic to dishes such as this coconut fish curry.
Ah, I can feel the tropical breezes already!
Coconut Fish Curry
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Tags: coconut, coconut milk, curry, fish, southeast asian
