Dishes

...Thai dishes made with coconut milk

Red curry

Green curry

Massaman curry

Tom kha gai

Satay Sweet sticky rice

Tapioca pudding

Ice Cream Shaved Ice

Malaysian dishes made with coconut milk

Laksa

Nasi lemak

Rendang

Indonesian dishes made with coconut milk

Rendang

Opor ayam

Nasi liwet

Sri Lankan dishes made with coconut milk

Spicy chicken curry

Spicy beef curry

Spicy and non-spicy fish curry

Dhal curry

Potato curry

Tomato sambol

Green bean curry

Coconut milk (Pol kiri) - a dish in itself, usually used for gravy

Pittu Milk gravy (Kiri hodi) - Coconut milk with a dash of saffron and onion, usually used for gravy with String-hoppers

West Indian dishes made with coconut milk

Rice and peas

Callaloo

Hawaiian dishes made with coconut milk

Haupia (a gelatin-like pudding flavored with coconut milk)

Kulolo Lu'au (taro leaves simmered in coconut milk)

Kerala dishes made with coconut milk

Gothampu Payasam (Wheat Payasam)

The Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is a sweet, milky white cooking base derived from the meat of a mature coconut. The color and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high oil content and sugars. The term "coconut milk" can also refer to the watery liquid found inside the nut. This liquid, when found in a young coconut, is more unambiguously referred to as "coconut water" or "coconut juice". In Malaysia and Indonesia coconut milk is called santan and in the Philippines it is called gata.The monolaurins in the coconut oil have been found to be very powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents. Most viruses, including the retrovirus HIV, are sensitive to coconut oil.

Coconut Palm

The Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4-6 m long, pinnae 60-90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth. The term coconut refers to the fruit of the coconut palm.

Botanically, a coconut is a simple dry fruit known as a fibrous drupe (not a true nut). The husk (mesocarp) is composed of fibres called coir and there is an inner "stone" (the endocarp). This hard endocarp (the outside of the coconut as sold in the shops of non-tropical countries) has three germination pores that are clearly visible on the outside surface once the husk is removed. It is through one of these that the radicle emerges when the embryo germinates. Adhering to the inside wall of the endocarp is the testa, with a thick albuminous endosperm (the coconut "meat"), the white and fleshy edible part of the seed. The endosperm surrounds a hollow interior space, filled with air and often a liquid referred to as coconut water, not to be confused with coconut milk. Coconut milk is made by grating the endocarp and mixing it with (warm) water. This produces a thick, white liquid called coconut milk that is used in much Asian cooking, for example, in curries. Coconut water from the unripe coconut, on the other hand, is drunk fresh as a refreshing drink.