Nothing beats fresh, especially when it comes to coconut shreds and coconut milk. You can smell and taste the difference. Usually, canned coconut milk has additives, thickeners, and preservatives that take away pure coconut taste and that wonderful coconut aroma. Frozen grated coconut usually does not have the same crunch as fresh ones. Yet, canned coconut milk and frozen grated coconut are far more convenient than making your own; You don’t have to crack any coconuts. But knowing the payoff of doing it the long way, I don’t mind a little DIY every once in a while. After a bit of practice and research, I’ve found a simple way on how to how to make coconut shreds and coconut milk for cooks of any level.
Here’s a short video on how it’s done:
For supplies, you can find mature coconuts at asian and hispanic grocery stores, major supermarkets, and health food stores. You can find the coconut de-meater here: The Coconut Tool Stainless Steel Coconut Meat Removal Knife. To shred the coconut, you can use a high-speed blender like Vitamix or Blendtec.
You can also use the traditional Filipino coconut grater. In Tagalog, we call it “kabayo” or horse. We call it a horse because you have to sit on it. The device is made of a small wooden chair with a long wooden neck and a razor at the tip to grate the coconut. You could find the traditional Filipino grater at most Filipino grocery stores. Or in my case, my uncle made it from scratch and even put a tail at the back!
Making fresh coconut shreds and coconut milk is a rewarding experience. The payoff justifies the process. You’ll instantly notice the rich coconut flavor and aroma. Choose a weekend or a lazy weekday so you won’t feel rushed. Have handy tools like high-speed blender, cheese cloth, and coconut de-meater. Who knows, you might even enjoy the process as much as the product.
Kain na, let’s eat!
Heidi Cusworth says
Thanks, I actually might try this! I’ve always been intimidated to use fresh coconut. I was in Sri Lanka recently and they use coconut in many ways. I really liked a fresh bread/pancake called Pol Roti. I hope to go back to the Philippines soon . ☺
RG of AstigVegan says
I’m curious to know how folks in Sri Lanka use their coconuts 🙂 Pol Roti sounds delish!
Heidi Cusworth says
HI,
Pol Roti makes for a great breakfast. The recipe is fairly basic, but every cook seemed to have their own special twist. The base recipe is:
3 cups flour
1 cup shredded coconut (or 3/4 cups desiccated coconut soaked in 1/4 cup of water)
Salt to taste
Mix the all the ingredients in a bowl. Next add cold water little by little so that all the ingredients come together to form a dough. Take care not to get it too wet. If the dough is too wet add a little bit of flour.Knead the dough and break into balls of about 2″ diameter.Flatten on a floured board If more crispy crust is desired, roll using rolling pin to be thinner. (I liked them on the thicker side!!)
Cook on a heated heavy bottom pan till golden brown on both sides under medium heat.
* common add in were diced green chilies and/or thin sliced red onions.
They were usually served hot, with Pol sambol (shredded coconut ground with dried chilies. And sometimes butter and jam. Enjoy!!! 🙂