Tam Ra Ahan Thai (Thai Recipes) ตำราอาหารไทย

© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA

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Thin Coconut Milk and Thick Coconut Cream

Many recipes call for thin coconut milk or thick coconut cream Both are made from from unsweetened coconut milk.

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

Pour 1 can unsweetened coconut milk into a tall glass. Allow to sit for at least 1 hour so the thick cream rises to the top. Skim off top (cream) which is the . The rest is thin coconut milk.

If you want to do it the hard way, make it from fresh coconuts!

Fresh unsweetened coconut cream and milk are called for in many Thai recipes. After peeling the dark skins off the chunks of white meat, cut the meat into 1 to 2 inch chunks and place them in a heavy-duty food processor fitted with the steel blade. (If the coconut meat has been frozen, thaw it completely before slicing and grinding.) Grind for 30 to 60 seconds. Pause to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl; then pulse and blend until the meat turns to pulp. Add 1 cup warm water and process for 30 seconds. Transfer the coconut meat and liquid to a large mixing bowl, preferably one with a spout for pouring. "Milk" the coconut — that is, massage and squeeze the meat at least 89 times. This is a Thai ritual believed to produce a rich and creamy coconut milk. It works!

Place a fine-mesh strainer, potato ricer, or bouillon strainer over another large mixing bowl. Pour the coconut cream and meat into the strainer, then press firmly to extract the liquid from the pulp. Refrigerate the liquid for at least 1 hour. The thick cream will coagulate on top, leaving the whey, or milk, in the bottom of the bowl. Skim off the thick cream into a resealable plastic bag or plastic container and refrigerate or freeze.

Meanwhile, put the coconut pulp back into the first mixing bowl. Pour 3 cups of warm water over the pulp, and massage and squeeze the coconut meat another 89 times. Strain the liquid into another bowl, as before, and refrigerate the liquid for at least 1 hour, giving the thick cream time to rise to the top.

Skim off the cream and combine with the thick cream extracted from the first milking. Pour the thin whey into a separate glass or plastic container and refrigerate until ready to use.