Coconut and coconut milk

                                                    

A lot of Asian recipes require coconut milk, mine included, and I have learnt that trying to extract fresh coconut milk can be a bit time-consuming for modern-day working mums, and messy too, so I have found ways to change store-bought coconut milk to thin and thick milk.

One thing I learned is that coconut cream is a little too thick, so opt for coconut milk packets, i use a brand called Ayam brand, it's Malaysian, so I am not sure it is available all over the world.
Anyway, don't buy lite coconut milk and stuff, just stick with coconut milk, to make thin milk, for most of my curries I have used about 500 ml of thin coconut milk so add 100 ml of your coconut milk into a measuring jug and then add water up to 500 ml, Then for thick milk use the milk directly from the packet.

As for fresh coconut, buy a nice coconut from an Asian market. When you choose one for cooking, give the coconut a shake (and they are usually dried up and brown in their shell) , you will hear the water sloshing around that's an old coconut, which you use for cooking purposes. The young coconut has a white outer later and when you shake it you won't hear the water sloshing around.
That is the difference between a young coconut, which u use for a refreshing drink from an " old one, which is used for cooking.

To extract the flesh of the coconut, I learnt this trick from one of the programmes on tv. After cracking open the coconut put it in the oven at about 150 degrees Celsius, and leave it in there for about 20 minutes when you take it out and let it cool, it is easier to extract the thick hard flesh from it with a sharp point knife. You can grate it and freeze them, till use. If you keep it in the fridge it doesn't last for long and ends up getting sour, while it lasts for some time in the freezer.