Homemade Coconut Milk From Fresh Coconut

Coconut milk is one of my favorite ingredients. I usually buy coconut milk cans in bulk and use it in everything from smoothies, desserts to savory recipes like curry or soups. Even though I use it, I’m not really a fan of the additives & preservatives you can find in store-bought coconut milk. Mr. Mint Thief bought a coconut the other day to celebrate my Islamic Birthday. I was wondering what to do with it and remembered my Mom & Mom-In-Law always making coconut milk from scratch for traditional Bohra dishes. As Eid-Ul-Adha was just around the corner, I was planning to make my all-time favorite traditional Bohra dish – Mutton Kaari Chawal. It is a rich curry is made with a unique combination of roasted and then ground nuts and spices with coconut milk. So I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to make coconut milk from scratch.

You can make this delicious Mango Thai Red Curry with Homemade Coconut Milk.

Start off with a fresh coconut. You want to use the brown “mature” coconuts, not the “young Thai” version. Choose a coconut that feels heavy for its size. When you buy a fresh coconut, hold it up to your ear and shake it. You should hear the water sloshing around inside. If you don’t hear anything, the coconut is overripe and isn’t suitable for making coconut milk. Next, make sure the coconut is free of cracks and punctures.

Here’s how you can make it:

Ingredients:

1 coconut
1 cup water
coconut water

Method:

Break the coconut open and remove the hard hairy brown outer shell & separate the coconut meat. (Here is a great tutorial on how to open a coconut.)
Chop coconut flesh into small cubes.
Add coconut flesh, coconut water and 1 cup water to the jar of your blender
Process on the highest speed for 5 to 10 minutes; you really want to get the most out of that coconut flesh as you possibly can.
Strain to a fine mesh sieve that’s been lined with cheesecloth.
Squeeze out all the liquid from your coconut. Until dry.
Transfer your coconut milk to an airtight glass jar or container and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

The coconut milk will separate in the fridge with the fat solidifying on top. It’s natural! You can heat it up slightly and stir it back together to use or just pop in a blender to mix into a creamy milk again.