Anyone use coconut milk?

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pepperhead212

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I don't use as much as I used to, when I made a lot more Thai food, and other SE Asian, but I still use a bunch in Keralan Indian food. I use some in sweets, like smoothies, but usually leftover stuff from the savory dishes. Thai curries are still my favorite things I've made with it.
 

taxlady

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I really like coconut milk. It can be used in place of dairy milk or cream in most cases. One of my favourite ways to use it is in dishes with hot peppers. Here's a recipe for a yummy root vegi soup.

 

Jade Emperor

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I certainly use a lot of coconut cream. My Thai mentor told me that if a recipe absolutely needs coconut milk, you can add some water to the cream for a good substitute. Obviously, coconut cream is richer and “heavier” than the milk, but it’s very much more silky and indulgent, so it really depends on what you’re aiming for.
I certainly don’t have the equipment, patience and frankly, strength to make it from a fresh coconut, but it is definitely worth trying fresh coconut milk and cream if you ever get the opportunity.
Another tip I would recommend is that the product that comes in a tetra-pack is far better than canned, due to the different manufacturing process involved in the canning, which needs a number of additives and different heating methods that are not beneficial to the final product.
Believe me, the cardboard carton product is creamy and separates better if that is a requirement (curries are a prime example).
 

taxlady

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I certainly use a lot of coconut cream. My Thai mentor told me that if a recipe absolutely needs coconut milk, you can add some water to the cream for a good substitute. Obviously, coconut cream is richer and “heavier” than the milk, but it’s very much more silky and indulgent, so it really depends on what you’re aiming for.
I certainly don’t have the equipment, patience and frankly, strength to make it from a fresh coconut, but it is definitely worth trying fresh coconut milk and cream if you ever get the opportunity.
Another tip I would recommend is that the product that comes in a tetra-pack is far better than canned, due to the different manufacturing process involved in the canning, which needs a number of additives and different heating methods that are not beneficial to the final product.
Believe me, the cardboard carton product is creamy and separates better if that is a requirement (curries are a prime example).
About the additives, I always check that there is only coconut and water, no guar gum, etc. It has gotten hard to find, but I do. It did used to be easy to find canned coconut milk with no additives. I bought tetra pack coconut milk once. It was curdled. It has really put me off of trying it again. I was looking forward to having a container that came I could close with a screw cap, unlike the cans.
 

jennyema

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I use it all the time. Mostly in SE asian stuff and in soups.

I hate butternut squash, but my butternut squash soup with red curry paste, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk has won soup competitions. I just made the same soup with carrots from our garden (we have hundreds of thousands) and extra ginger and it was outstanding.
 

GinnyPNW

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In addition to the above mentioned Indian, Asian, soups, rice, curries...I use coconut milk for smoothies too.

PS...I don't like coconut, but love coconut milk!
 

Badjak

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Yeah, I use coconut milk, coconut cream & creamed coconut.
SE Asian food, and some fusian as well
 

Jade Emperor

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Like I mentioned, I use a lot of it in my Thai cooking, but this thread has led me to a recipe for coconut milk ice cream that I would love to try.
What do you great people think about a very delicate basil and coconut milk ice cream?
If you don’t think the flavours will compliment each other, what would you suggest instead?
 

taxlady

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Like I mentioned, I use a lot of it in my Thai cooking, but this thread has led me to a recipe for coconut milk ice cream that I would love to try.
What do you great people think about a very delicate basil and coconut milk ice cream?
If you don’t think the flavours will compliment each other, what would you suggest instead?
Have you made ice cream with coconut milk before? Do you use an ice cream maker?

As to the combo of flavours, I'm not sure. I doubt that I am the person to ask, when it comes to unusual ice cream flavours. I used to love avocado. I tried some avocado ice cream that a friend made for a picnic. Most of the people loved it. I hated it.

If I were to make a coconut milk ice cream, I would probably try lemon first.

The only time I have used coconut in a frozen dessert was making "nice cream". Blissful shared a link to these recipes for different flavours of nice cream. They are very good. They don't require an ice cream maker. They require a strong food processor or one of the fancy blenders, like Vitamix.

 
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