What Indian food uses coconut milk?: Its mild sweetness and subtle flavour make it the ideal base for curries and desserts, as it easily blends with other ingredients.
It is a staple in South Indian cuisine, especially, and it’s often made at home. The process is simple: take a medium-sized coconut and grate its flesh.
Blend it with one cup of warm tap water in a mixer. The liquid that is strained is called the first extract and is very thick.
The same grated coconut can be used to strain second and third extracts, which have a thinner texture and a more subtle flavour.
The thick milk can be used to make desserts, while the thinner milk can be used for soups, curries and other dishes.
Coconut milk contains a lot of oil, mainly saturated fats. It also has essential nutrients such as manganese and potassium. This helps to build the immunity of your body.
Although it is often hailed as a healthy option, experts recommend consuming smaller quantities of the full-fat variety.
We have some great recipes to impress your family with if you’ve been considering bringing home coconut milk for cooking.
Discover this Burmese delight bursting with flavour. Khow suey, a one-pot meal of noodles and vegetables cooked in coconut cream and garnished with fried garlic and peanuts, is a delicious Burmese delicacy. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
7 best Indian foods use coconut milk
- Kerala Chicken Stew
- Goan Fish Curry
- Vegetable Ishtu
- Prawn Moilee (Meen Moilee)
- Thengai Paal Payasam
- Korma
- Avial
1. Kerala Chicken Stew
Kerala chicken stew is an Indian traditional dish. This is a mild curry made with chicken, vegetables, spices and coconut milk. Use my simple recipe to make it and serve it with steamed or appam rice or hoppers.
Coconut milk may curdle during cooking. Don’t worry; the curry will still be good once you add the thick coconut milk to the final cooking.
If you want to prevent the milk from curdling, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. This will make the curry creamier.
Skinless, bone-in pieces of chicken absorb flavours well. If you don’t like bone-in meat, you can also use small pieces of boneless chicken.
You can add other vegetables, such as green beans, green peas and cauliflower. For cashew paste, soak 20-25 nuts in 1/2 cup hot water for 30 min. Blend the paste in a blender until it is smooth. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
2. Goan Fish Curry
Goa was the place where I had my most significant discovery. The best fish curry I ever had was not after a trance on the beach but in the restaurants.
With little more than a hot-and-sour, coconut-rich dish and a plate of sea creatures, the chefs would prepare the most delicious, hot-and-sour, coconut-rich dishes every evening. I became pretty addicted. I became addicted.
The most popular dish in the region is known for its love of sour, spicy and sour food. As Madhur Jaffrey points out, Portuguese seafood is also characterized by a stew of pork seasoned with vinegar and garlic.
While I enjoy gingery, coconutty Keralan Crab, or Bengali fish and yoghurt, I find the Goan version to be the most flavorful. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
Read Also: Which Chicken Flavour is best?
3. Vegetable Ishtu
Amma has always made coconut milk for me as a sweet side dish whenever I remember appam or Idiyappam (she is aware of my sweet tooth).
We spent a summer holiday at my uncle’s house. I was a big fan of the Idiyappam with the vegetable stew that my aunt made for breakfast.
Since then, the stew has been one of my favourite side dishes. I began cooking stew to replace coconut milk as a side dish for Aappam, Idiyappam and Aappam.
Vegetable Stew, a curry that is popular in Kerala, is an assortment of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. The stew, or ‘Ishtoo,’ as it’s called in Kerala, is usually eaten with appams and Idiyappam.
Still, I also think that it makes a beautiful accompaniment to dosas, ghee-rice, and roti. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
4. Prawn Moilee (Meen Moilee)
The curry is a favourite at our house. It’s balanced with sweet coconut, spicy pepper, and chillies. They are so good with rice and extra servings. My father is from Kerala, and we make moilee quite often. My husband also enjoys them.
This curry is influenced by Portuguese cuisine, so the recipe is slightly different from other Kerala dishes. If you want more spice, add more green chillies. Prawns moilee is also great with rice, appams and dosas.
Many versions of the moilee have been created, but all adhere to the traditional and primary method. We all love the food my mom makes. I’ve added raw rice, cloves and cardamom to the recipe for an ancient touch.
Add filets from kingfish or salmon if you do not have prawns. Vegetarians can try adding mushrooms, potatoes and paneer.
Non-vegetarians who are really committed could add boneless chicken to this recipe. It should taste great. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
5. Thengai Paal Payasam
This is the staple recipe of my periyamma. Mom and MIL also make it. It’s not the recipe that people make all the time. This is the first time I’ve tried it.
This recipe will help you make the Tamil New Year. This payasam was my favourite because of its unique flavour and ingredients.
It was never a favourite of mine in my childhood because it is too sweet and contains jaggery. I wasn’t a fan back then. It’s great if you take it along with a meal at the end. Check out the other recipes to make a payasam for the festival.
Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. In a large pan, heat ghee and toast the broken cashews until golden brown. Transfer to the payasam and mix well. After 5 minutes, add the milk. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
6. Korma
It’s one of the many traditional dishes I have tried countless times, including Chicken Karahi and Chicken Biryani. Most recently, Butter Chicken. I’m aiming to make these dishes easier without compromising on their classic, “authentic” taste.
The Mughlai dish Korma has been a favourite in South Asia for centuries. The word Korma (or Korma) means to braise or pan-sear.
North Indian and Pakistani prepare the curry by sautéing the chicken in ghee/oil with whole spices. Then, a mixture of yoghurt and fried onion is added.
The distinctive features of Chicken Korma are the whole spices used, the rich yogurt, the fried onion masala and finally, a thin layer of oil/ghee. Kewra Essence gives a luxurious touch. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
7. Avial
Avial, also known as aviyal, is a popular mixed vegetable dish that originated in Kerala. You can find it prepared in some parts of Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. Sadya is a vegetarian festival served on plantain leaves. This dish is a must-have.
This is a recipe for a delicious avail made with curd, coconut oil, curry leaves and mixed vegetables. Serve this dish with steamed white rice, sambar pickle, and papadoms to make a satisfying and hearty meal.
This dish can be made in a variety of ways. There are three variations I am aware of: avial made with curd, tamarind, and raw mango. Curd is the main ingredient in my recipe, as it’s how I always made avail at home.
This is not a curry version but a thicker version in which the coconut and yoghurt coat the vegetables.
It is essential to properly cook the vegetables when making avial. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy.
When cooking vegetables, please don’t add any more water because the veggies will also release juices as they cook. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
Conclusion:
Coconut milk is used widely in Indian cuisine. It’s trendy in South Indian dishes and coastal foods to give a creamy texture and balance out the bold spices.
Curry dishes like Goan Fish Curry and Vegetable Korma are popular, as well as desserts such as Thengai Paal Payasam. [What Indian food uses coconut milk?]
What Indian food uses coconut milk?: FAQ
1. What is coconut milk, and why is it used in Indian cooking?
Ans: Coconut milk is produced from grated coconut flesh. In Indian cuisine, it’s used to add richness, creaminess and a mildly sweet flavour. It provides a smooth texture and balances spicy foods, particularly in South Indian cuisine and coastal cuisine.
2. Which regions of India use coconut milk the most?
Ans: Due to the abundance of coconuts available in these areas, coconut milk is a staple in South Indian cuisines and coastal cuisines such as those in Kerala, Goa and Tamil Nadu. Coconut milk is an essential ingredient in many of the traditional dishes from this region.
3. What types of Indian bread go well with coconut milk-based curries?
Ans: With curries based on coconut milk, soft bread such as appam and Idiyappam work well. These bread absorb the creamy sauce and enhance the flavours.