Coconut milk 743327 225963707 2008-07-16T06:05:59Z Mduvigneaud 2669497 /* Thai */ Made the Tom Kha link to the Tom kha page without the "coconut soup" part. [[Image:Cononut milk.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Coconut milk in a bowl.]] '''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. In [[Malaysia]], [[Brunei]] and [[Indonesia]] coconut milk is called ''santan'' and in the [[Philippines]] it is called ''gata''. And in [[Thailand]] it is called ga-tee and used in many of the Thai curries. It should not be confused with [[coconut water]] (coconut juice), which is the naturally-occurring liquid found inside a coconut. {| width="40%" class="wikitable" ! colspan=3 | Composition of coconut water and coconut milk |- ! width="30%" | &nbsp; ! width="35%" | [[Coconut Water]] (%) ! width="35%" | Coconut Milk (%) |- | Total solids || 4.71 ||10.29 |- | [[Reducing sugar]]s || 0.08 || 0.35 |- | [[Sucrose]] || 1.28 || 1.40 |- | Total sugars || 2.08 || |- | [[Ash]] || 0.62 |- | [[Sodium]] || 1.5 || |- | [[Potassium]] || 3.12 || |- | [[Calcium]] || 2.9 || |- | [[Magnesium]] || 3.0 || |- | [[Iron]] || 0.01 || |- | [[Copper]] || 0.004 || |- | [[Phosphorous]] || 3.7 || 3.3 |- | [[Sulfur]] || 3.4 || |- | [[Chlorine]] || 18.3 || |- | [[Protein]] || &nbsp; || 0.80 |- | [[Fat]] || &nbsp; || 7.10 |- | [[Carbohydrate]] || &nbsp; || 1.75 |- | colspan=3 style="font-size:.7em" | Source: Subrahmanyan, V., and Swaminathan, D., (1959), Coconut in food, Coconut Bull. ''13'', No. 5, 153-158. |} ==Preparation== Two grades of coconut milk exist: ''thick'' and ''thin''. ''Thick'' coconut milk is prepared by directly squeezing grated coconut meat through [[cheesecloth]]. The squeezed coconut meat is then soaked in warm water and squeezed a second or third time for ''thin'' coconut milk. Thick milk is used mainly to make desserts and rich, dry [[sauce]]s. Thin milk is used for [[soup]]s and general cooking. This distinction is usually not made in [[western world|western nation]]s since fresh coconut milk is usually not produced, and most consumers buy coconut milk in cans. Manufacturers of canned coconut milk typically combine the thin and thick squeezes, with the addition of water as a filler. Depending on the brand and age of the milk itself, a thicker, more paste-like consistency floats to the top of the can, and is sometimes separated and used in [[recipe]]s that require [[coconut cream]] rather than coconut milk. Shaking the can prior to opening will even it out to a cream-like thickness. Some brands sold in western countries add [[thickening agent]]s to prevent the milk from separating inside the can, since the separation tends to be misinterpreted as a sign of spoilage by people who have no experience with coconut milk. Once opened, cans of coconut milk must be [[Refrigeration|refrigerated]], and are usually only good for a few days. Coconut milk should never be left at [[room temperature]], as the milk can sour and spoil easily. Coconut milk can be made at home by processing grated coconut with hot water or milk, which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds. It should not be confused with the coconut water discussed above, and has a fat content of approximately 17%. When refrigerated and left to set, coconut cream will rise to the top and separate out from the milk. ==Cooking== [[Image:Coconut milk melting.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Canned coconut milk can be solid on opening the can. Heating it will make it liquid.]] Coconut milk is a common ingredient in many tropical [[cuisine]]s, most notably that of [[Southeast Asia]] (especially [[Cuisine of the Philippines|Filipino]], [[Cuisine of Indonesia|Indonesian]], [[Cuisine of Myanmar|Burmese]], [[Cuisine of Cambodia|Cambodia]], [[Cuisine of Malaysia|Malaysian]], [[Cuisine of Singapore|Singaporean]], [[Sri Lankan cuisine|Sri Lankan]], [[Cuisine of Thailand|Thai]]), [[West African]], [[Caribbean cuisine|Caribbean]], and [[Polynesian]] cuisines. Coconut milk can usually be found in the [[Asian food]] sections of supermarkets either frozen or canned. Frozen coconut milk tends to stay fresh longer, which is important in dishes in which the coconut flavor is not competing with curries and other spicy dishes. Coconut milk is the base of most Thai [[curries]]. To make the curry sauce, the coconut milk is first cooked over fairly high heat to break down the milk and cream and allow the oil to separate. The curry paste is then added, as well as any other seasonings, meats, vegetables and garnishes. ==Medicinal properties== The [[monolaurin]]s in the coconut oil have been found to be very powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents. Some people believe that coconut milk can be used as a laxative.[http://medind.nic.in/jac/t06/i1/jact06i1p16.pdf] ==Plant growth usage== In 1943, Johannes van Overbeek discovered that coconut milk actively encourages plant growth. This was later discovered to be due to a number of factors, but predominantly the existence in the milk of a [[cytokinin]] known as [[zeatin]].<ref>{{cite book| title=Cytokinins: Chemistry, Activity, and Function| author=David W. S. Mok, Machteld C. Mok| page=8| publisher=CRC Press| isbn=0849362520| date=1994}} [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yov7iUL7OTAC&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=coconut+milk+kinetin&source=web&ots=0ax4iMHxuj&sig=uGWqUnvbkFJWQqEEPblErEqwFEM&hl=en (available from Google books)]</ref> The addition of 10% coconut milk to the substrate in which wheat is grown has shown substantial improvements in yield.<ref>{{cite book| title=Wheat| author=Y. P. S. Bajaj| publisher=Springer| date=1990| isbn=3540518096}}</ref> ==Dishes== ===Chinese=== *Various sweet ''[[dim sum]]'' dishes *Various sweet soups ''(tong sui)'' ===Thai=== *[[Red curry]] *[[Green curry]] *[[Red "Gang Dang" curry]] *[[Yellow "Gang Leong" curry]] *[[Panang curry]] *[[Pineapple curry]] *[[Massaman curry]] *[[Tom kha|Tom Kha "coconut soup"]] *[[Satay peanut sauce]] *[[Tapioca pudding]] *[[Ice Cream]] *[[Coconut pudding]] *Thai Shaved Ice or Nam Kang Sai, known as [[snow cone]] in the US. Another name is 'Wan-Yen'. In Thailand, this kind of cold dessert is very popular as well. The differences from other countries' shaved ice is that in the Thai version the toppings (mixings) are in the bottom and the shaved ice is on top. There are between 20-30 varieties of mixings that can be mixed in. Among them are young coconut that have been soaked in coconut milk, black sticky rice, chestnuts,sweetened taro, red beans, cheng-sim-ee (special flour that is very chewy and slippery) and many more. ===Malaysian and Singaporean=== *[[Gula melaka]] *[[Korma]] *[[Laksa]] *[[Nasi lemak]] ===Indonesian=== *[[Opor ayam]] *Nasi liwet *[[Nasi Uduk]] *[[Rendang]] *[[Gulai Kepala Ikan]] ===Sri Lankan=== *Spicy chicken curry *Spicy beef curry *Spicy and non-spicy fish curry *[[Potato]] curry *[[Tomato]] [[sambol]] *Green bean curry *Coconut milk ([[Pol kiri]]) - a dish in itself, usually used for gravy with Pittu *Milk gravy ([[Kiri hodi]]) - Coconut milk with a dash of saffron and onion, usually used for gravy with String-hoppers ===West Indian=== *[[Rice and peas]] *[[Callaloo]] ===Hawaiian=== *[[Haupia]] (a gelatin-like pudding flavored with coconut milk) *[[Kulolo]] *[[Luau|Lu'au]] ([[taro]] leaves simmered in coconut milk) ===Indian (Kerala)=== *Gothampu [[Payasam]] (Wheat Payasam) ===Indian ([[Goan cuisine|Goan]] and Konkani cuisine in [[Karnataka]], and [[Maharashtra]])=== *Almost all dishes have coconut milk and paste as its base (called as "''Aapros''" in [[Konkani]]) **Human (fish curry) **All vegetable and fish curries **Payasa, Mangane, Kheer **Coconut Rice ===Mozambique=== *Mucapata (Rice, White Beans, and Coconut Milk) *Matapa (Cassava Leaves, Peanuts, and Coconut Milk) ===Filipino=== *Adobo sa Gata (Meat sauteed in [[soy sauce]], garlic, and pepper, thickened with coconut milk) *Ginata (Various entrees or desserts simmered in coconut milk) **Ginataang Bilo Bilo (Rice dumpling dessert) **Ginataang Tilapia (White fish in creamy coconut) *Gulaman at Sago ([[Tapioca]] with coconut milk) *[[Laing (food)|Laing]] (Spicy [[taro]] dish seasoned with shrimp, pork, and ginger) *[[Pancit]] Butong (Coconut noodles) *[[Halo-halo]] (Shaved ice in coconut milk with sweet beans, ice cream, fruits, [[condensed milk]], and other sundries) ===Burmese=== *Halawa (a snack made of sticky rice, butter, coconut milk, similar to Indian [[halva|halwa]]) *Kyauk-kyaw (coconut jelly) *Mont let saung (tapioca balls, glutinous rice, grated coconut and toasted sesame with jaggery syrup in coconut milk) *Ohn-no hkauk-hswe (curried chicken and wheat noodles in a coconut milk broth) *Shwegyi mont (unsweet cake of semolina, coconut milk, and poppy seeds) *Ngyuenea hakushelat (coconut milk) == Drinks == Drinks using coconut milk as an ingredient include *[[Piña Colada]] and its nonalcoholic variant [[Virgin Piña Colada]] (Coconut cream may also be used) *[[Coquito con Ron]] ==See also== * [[Coconut cream]] * [[Plant milk]] ==References== <references /> [[Category:Coconut]] [[Category:Drink mixers]] [[Category:Food ingredients]] [[Category:Milk substitutes]] [[Category:Vegan cuisine]] [[es:Leche de coco]] [[ko:코코넛 밀크]] [[id:Santan]] [[jv:Santen]] [[ms:Santan]] [[ja:ココナッツミルク]] [[no:Kokosmelk]] [[ru:Кокосовое молоко]] [[th:กะทิ]] [[vi:Nước cốt dừa]] [[fr:lait de coco]]