Coconut Milk: Difference from Coconut Cream, Uses and Storage
Coconut milk is a white, creamy liquid that producers press from grated coconut flesh and water. You need it for Thai curries, soups such as tom kha gai and many Southeast Asian desserts. Coconut cream is the thicker, fattier version, and coconut drink a diluted version for drinking.
Fact sheet
- Also known as
- Coconut Milk, Kokosnussmilch, Santan (Indonesien, Malaysia), Kathi (กะทิ, Thailand), nước cốt dừa (Vietnam)
- Origin
- Süd- und Südostasien
- Taste
- mild süßlich, nussig nach Kokos, cremig und fettreich
- Substitute
- selbst gemachte Kokosmilch aus Kokosraspeln, aufgelöster Kokosblock; ohne Kokosgeschmack Sahne oder pflanzliche Kochcreme
- Storage
- ungeöffnet trocken bis zum MHD; geöffnet umgefüllt im Kühlschrank 3 bis 4 Tage; einfrieren möglich
- Where to buy
- Asia-Regal im Supermarkt, Asialaden, online
How coconut milk is made
Producers grate the white flesh of mature coconuts, mix it with warm water and press the mass through a cloth. The first pressing gives a thick cream, a second with fresh water a thinner milk. In Thailand the two stages are called hua kathi and hang kathi. Coconut water has nothing to do with it: that clear liquid comes from inside young, green nuts.
Coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut drink compared
| Product | Fat (usual range) | Texture | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coconut milk | about 15 to 20% | creamy, cream settles on top | curries, soups, desserts |
| Coconut milk, light | about 5 to 10% | thin | soups, light sauces |
| Coconut cream | about 20 to 25%, sometimes more | thick, almost solid when chilled | desserts, toppings, curry base |
| Coconut drink | about 1 to 2% | watery like milk | muesli, coffee, smoothies |
Don't use the coconut drink from the beverage shelf for cooking; it makes curries watery. Also don't confuse coconut cream with the coconut block, called creamed coconut in English. The solid block consists of dried, ground coconut flesh, and you dissolve it in hot water. Sweetened cream of coconut is a cocktail ingredient. In the ingredient list you see the share of coconut extract: the higher it is, the creamier the milk. Guar gum as a thickener is common.
Use in curries and soups
For a Thai curry, don't shake the can beforehand. Scoop the thick cream off the top, heat it in the wok and let it simmer until the fat separates and shines. Fry the curry paste in it until fragrant, and only then pour in the thin rest. Coconut milk with a lot of emulsifier often doesn't separate. Then fry the paste in a spoonful of oil. This is how you cook Green curry, Panang curry or a Laksa lemak.
In soups such as Tom kha gai you let the coconut milk only simmer. At a rolling boil it splits and the fat floats on top. Add the lime juice only at the end. The aromas of this soup come from galangal and lemongrass. A meatless example is the Pumpkin curry with coconut milk.
Coconut milk in desserts and rice
In Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia coconut milk is in many sweets. For Mango sticky rice you warm coconut milk with sugar and a pinch of salt and pour it over freshly steamed sticky rice. The basic technique is under How to cook sticky rice. In Bua loy sticky rice balls float in warm, sweetened coconut milk. In Indonesia and Malaysia you cook rice in coconut milk instead of water, for example for Nasi uduk. For that, replace a third to half of the water with coconut milk and add pandan leaf and lemongrass. Chilled coconut cream can be whipped like cream if its fat content is high enough.
Substitutes for coconut milk
- Homemade: Pour 400 ml hot water over 200 g unsweetened shredded coconut, let steep for 10 minutes, blend fine and squeeze through a cloth. You get about 300 ml creamy coconut milk.
- Coconut block: Dissolve 50 g in 150 ml hot water and stir smooth.
- Without coconut: cream or cooking cream, vegan a soy- or oat-based cooking cream or 1 tbsp cashew butter per 100 ml water. The coconut flavor is then missing, but the creaminess stays.
Buying and storing
Coconut milk in cans and cartons sits in the Asian aisle of almost every supermarket. At an Asian grocery store and online you find more choice, including coconut cream and coconut block. Store it unopened in a dry place until the best-before date. When cold, the contents turn solid or separate into cream and water; that is normal. Stir or warm it before use.
Transfer an opened can to a jar or container with a lid and refrigerate it. Use the rest within three to four days. For longer, freeze coconut milk in ice cube trays. After thawing it looks slightly grainy, but you won't notice in a curry or soup. If it smells sour or a can is bulging, throw it away.
In the EU, coconut is not among the 14 major allergens that must be labeled. If someone at the table reacts to coconut, ask anyway, and read the ingredient list on ready-made products.