Easy Coconut Recipes for Beginners

Coconut gives the boon of your wishes, every part of the tree is useful and thus considered as a godly tree. When you come to cooking also, coconut has many uses. Coconut has prominence in South Indian recipes as much as the vegetables, rice, pulses or spices have theirs. Coconut gratings are used as a supplementary ingredient in many of the dishes. Nowadays there are implements to husk the coconut, split it, grate it, etc. So, it is always good to use fresh coconuts and grate it at the time of use to retain its taste and aroma. If it is difficult to grate now and then, you may keep the gratings in a storage container and refrigerate it in the middle portion of the fridge. Keeping too cool in freezing temperature solidifies and separates the fat and therefore it is not good. If it is refrigerated, make it a point to bring it to room temperature before you go for grinding, otherwise, fat clump formation will make it difficult and you may not get the exact form of the dish after preparation. This is mainly because the fat clump formation prevents you from fine grinding and on the other hand, you will get a greasy feel during and after preparation. For those who feel not at all convenient can buy packaged coconut gratings or desiccated coconut powder, which can be ground into a required paste.

Here two easy coconut recipes, both are sweet items are described step by step for do-it-yourself preparation.

Time required - 15 minutes

Implements required

1. Coconut husker or sickle
2. Coconut splitter or sickle
3. Mixer grinder
4. Thick muslin cloth and a sieve to filter coconut milk
5. Vessel for collecting coconut milk

Method of preparation

• Finely grind the coconut gratings in half cup water. Using fresh coconut gratings always gives better results. You can also use refrigerated coconut gratings. You may do it with a tabletop grinder or a mixer grinder.
• Pour it over a muslin cloth kept on a sieve. squeeze to obtain coconut milk.
• Add a pinch of salt to taste.

You will get the residual grating for which add another cup of water and squeeze again to get residual milk, which is also called as second milk. Add cardamom powder and serve fresh.

The leftover residual coconut powder can be used to add to biscuits, chutney, Indian bread (dosa) or dry masala chutney powder preparation as fat-free coconut grating. For this, dry it, before using. Coconut powder is very good for a bowel movement and to overcome constipation. It can be added slightly to weening food also without any harm.

The coconut milk is very useful for many preparations as a tastemaker.

Above coconut milk, with good jaggery-to-taste will be an ideal combination for rice semia (vermicilli), dosa idli, dosa, etc. Some children and grown-up also like to drink a cup of jaggery added coconut milk. It is delightful nutrition with all essential minerals and antioxidants as well as a friendly and healthy fat for the body. Since it is a water colloid, it is not good to refrigerate. It will separate and also lose taste.

Try it and comment.

Nowadays bottled coconut milk is available in the market. Even for those, who would like to prepare and sell coconut milk in the kiosk, double screw coconut milk expeller machines are available from industrial machinery makers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states in India.

Time required - two and a half hours

Implements required

1. Thick bottom wide open pan
2. Wide, flat bottom plate
3. Thick and sturdy stirrer spatula
4. Sieve
5. knife
6. container for airtight storage of sweets

Traditionally coconut burfi is made without chickpea (besan or gram) flour. Adding this gives a good aroma, taste and consistency so that you like the cream colour very much and it is natural and taste enhancement is incredible. In fact, it is a combination of two traditional sweets. Coconut Burfi and Mysore Pak. Preparation is easy and there are simple steps.

Coconut gratings always give good results when the fresh and juicy kernel is used. In addition, if required cashew nuts or almonds can be added just before pouring, based on personal preference. Similarly, in place of ghee and milk, the cream can be used. In place of ghee, butter can be used for better health benefits.

Method of preparation

• Grind the coconut gratings in a mixer grinder without adding water coarsely.
• In a thick roasting pan, add this coconut ground paste, milk and sugar, keep over the heater and stir for 45 minutes.
• When the mix forms lump, add chickpea flour while stirring and add ghee while stirring on non-stop mode. If you are able to do, sieve the chickpea flour to the boiling content in the pan, while stirring. If required call a family member for the help.
• When the entire combined mix starts separating from the bottom while stirring, the time is to pour to the plate for cooling and solidification.
• Now, pour on a flat bottom plate which is smeared with some ghee or oil to prevent sticking. It can be poured on a butter paper also.
• After about ten minutes, cut for required size and shape, using a thin and sharp blade or knife.

This is a delicious sweet and befitting for any occasion. It is highly nutritious and high calory sweet item. It is good to prepare this on festival occasions, for receiving a guest who attends a tea party, or for a birthday or for sending solid sweets to school children, etc. It is easy to serve and distribute. Does not stick on to hand or container.

The only drawback is the long-time duration, required at least two and a half hours. It is not possible to make this a vegan recipe since ghee is very essential for colour, texture and taste of this item.

Nutrition information in 1-inch cube of about 70 g

• Calories 170 kcal
• Carbohydrates 30 g
• Fat 10 g
• Proteins 5 g
• saturated fat 3 g
• Cholesterol 1 mg
• Potassium 70 mg
• Calcium 20 mg
• Iron 1 mg
• Fibre 2 g
• Sugar 30 g
• Vitamin A, B & C - traces

For those who wish to make homemade recipes and sweets, these two recipes given above are good to try and once successful, your family members encouraged to do it again and again.