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Tag: Coconut milk

  • Bebinca

    Bebinca is the most celebrated Goan dessert, made for Christmas, Easter, weddings and other feasts. Legend says it was created by a nun in Old Goa who wanted to make a dessert with seven layers, representing the seven hills of Lisbon and Old Goa. Traditional bebinca has many more, often sixteen layers, built up one at a time.

    Each layer is a thin pour of a batter of coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar and a little flour, flavoured with nutmeg and cardamom. It is cooked under a top heat until golden, then brushed with ghee before the next layer is added. The result is a dense, rich, caramelised cake with distinct brown and pale stripes.

    Bebinca is served in thin slices, sometimes warm with vanilla ice cream. It keeps well for a week, making it a good dessert to prepare ahead for a feast. Goan households often take pride in their own bebinca, and many families still bake it in a clay oven with coconut husk embers on top, as their grandmothers did.

    At a glance

    RegionGoa
    CuisineGoan
    DietEggetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time120 minutes
    Total time150 minutes
    Serves10
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientscoconut milk / egg yolks / sugar / ghee

    Ingredients

    • 10 egg yolks
    • 2 cups (400 ml) thick coconut milk
    • 1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
    • 1 cup (125 g) maida
    • 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • A pinch of salt
    • 1/2 cup (100 g) ghee, melted, plus more for greasing

    Method

    1. Stir the sugar into the coconut milk until it dissolves completely, warming gently if needed. Cool.
    2. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth and pale. Add the coconut milk gradually, whisking.
    3. Sift in the maida with nutmeg, cardamom and salt, whisking until there are no lumps. Strain the batter.
    4. Preheat the oven grill to high (around 220 C) with the rack in the upper third. Grease a 7-inch round tin with ghee.
    5. Pour 1 tbsp melted ghee into the tin and heat under the grill for 2 minutes. Pour in about 1/2 cup batter to form a thin layer. Grill for 8-10 minutes until the top is set and golden brown.
    6. Remove, brush with 1 tsp ghee, pour in another 1/2 cup batter and grill again until golden. Repeat until all the batter is used, about 12-14 layers.
    7. After the final layer, bake for 5 more minutes. Cool completely in the tin, then invert onto a plate and slice thinly.

    Tips

    • Patience is key; each layer must be golden before adding the next.
    • Use thick, fresh coconut milk for the richest flavour.
    • Rotate the tin halfway through each layer for even browning.

    Serve with

    Thin slices on their own or warm with vanilla ice cream.

  • Sol Kadhi

    Sol kadhi is the signature drink of the Konkan coast, served at the end of a Malvani or Goan meal to cool the palate after spicy fish curries. It combines thin coconut milk with an extract of kokum, the dried rind of a coastal fruit, which turns the mixture a pretty pale pink. It is never cooked, so it keeps the fresh flavour of coconut.

    The taste is gently tart, creamy and savoury, with a sharp note from raw garlic and green chilli and freshness from coriander. Kokum is believed to aid digestion and cool the body, which is why coastal families drink it in summer and after heavy meals. The colour comes entirely from kokum.

    In Malvan and Ratnagiri restaurants it is served in glasses alongside the thali or poured over steamed rice. It keeps for a day in the refrigerator, though the coconut milk may separate; stir before serving. Some versions temper it with cumin and curry leaves, though the raw version is most common in Malvan.

    At a glance

    RegionMaharashtra
    CuisineMalvani
    DietVegan
    CourseBeverage
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time20 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscoconut / kokum / garlic / green chilli

    Ingredients

    • 10-12 dried kokum petals
    • 1 cup warm water for soaking kokum
    • 2 cups freshly grated coconut
    • 2 cups warm water for coconut milk
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 green chilli
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
    • 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Soak the kokum petals in 1 cup warm water for 30 minutes. Squeeze them well in the water to release colour and sourness, then strain and discard the petals.
    2. Grind the coconut with garlic, green chilli and 1 cup warm water to a fine paste.
    3. Strain through a muslin cloth or fine sieve, squeezing hard to extract the first coconut milk.
    4. Return the coconut residue to the blender with the remaining 1 cup warm water, blend again and squeeze out a second, thinner extract. Combine both.
    5. Stir the kokum extract into the coconut milk gradually; it will turn pale pink. Add salt and sugar and taste for a balance of sour and creamy.
    6. Garnish with coriander and chill for 30 minutes. Stir before pouring into glasses.

    Tips

    • Do not heat sol kadhi; boiling makes the coconut milk split and lose its fresh taste.
    • Kokum agal (concentrate) works in a pinch: use about 2 tbsp and adjust to taste.
    • Canned coconut milk diluted with water can substitute, but fresh coconut gives far better flavour.

    Serve with

    Steamed rice and a Malvani fish thali, or as a digestive after the meal.

  • Chingri Malai Curry

    Chingri malai curry is the Bengali dish of choice for a son-in-law on jamai sasthi or for any guest worth impressing. The 'malai' refers to coconut cream rather than dairy, and some food historians link the name to Malay traders who brought coconut-based cooking to the eastern coast. Golda chingri, the big freshwater scampi with blue-orange heads, are the traditional prawn.

    The curry is mild, rich and faintly sweet. The prawn heads are left on because the fat inside them colours and flavours the gravy, and whole garam masala in ghee gives the warm aroma Bengalis expect. Unlike southern coconut curries it uses no curry leaves or tamarind; the balance is between sweetness, gentle heat from green chillies and the richness of coconut milk.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsprawns / coconut milk / onion / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the prawns

    • 8 large golda prawns or 500 g tiger prawns, shelled, deveined, heads and tails on
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp mustard oil

    For the gravy

    • 1 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 green cardamoms, lightly crushed
    • 3 cloves
    • 1 inch cinnamon stick
    • 1 large onion, ground to a paste
    • 1 tsp ginger paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1 1/2 cups thick coconut milk
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Rub the cleaned prawns with turmeric and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
    2. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a kadhai until smoking, then lower to medium. Fry the prawns for 1 minute per side until they just turn pink and curl. Remove; they will finish cooking in the gravy.
    3. In the same pan add the remaining mustard oil and ghee. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
    4. Add the onion paste and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until the raw smell is gone and it turns light golden.
    5. Add ginger paste, turmeric and chilli powder with a splash of water. Cook for 2 minutes until the oil starts separating.
    6. Lower the heat and pour in the coconut milk, stirring continuously so it does not split. Add salt, sugar and the slit green chillies and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes.
    7. Return the prawns to the pan. Simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes, spooning gravy over them, until the prawns are cooked through and the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
    8. Sprinkle garam masala and add a final teaspoon of ghee. Cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Keep the heads on and press them gently while cooking – the orange fat inside is what gives the gravy its colour.
    • Never boil hard once the coconut milk is in, or it will curdle and turn grainy.
    • Overcooked prawns turn rubbery; take them off the heat as soon as they are opaque in the centre.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice or ghee bhaat, with a slice of lime.

  • Olan

    Olan is the mildest curry on the Onam sadya leaf, and it is there on purpose: after the tang of pulissery and the heat of pickles, olan cools and calms the palate. It is a simple preparation of ash gourd, sometimes with pumpkin, and red cowpeas, cooked in coconut milk with nothing more than green chillies, salt and curry leaves.

    It is pale, light and delicately sweet, with the ash gourd turning translucent and soft. There are no ground spices, no tempering and no onions in the traditional version, so the quality of the coconut milk and the fresh coconut oil at the end matter a great deal. It is eaten with rice, and many people enjoy it the next day too.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsash gourd / red cowpeas / coconut milk / green chillies

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup red cowpeas (vanpayar), soaked 6 hours
    • 400 g ash gourd (kumbalanga), peeled and cut into thin 3 cm squares
    • 100 g yellow pumpkin, thinly sliced (optional)
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1 cup thin coconut milk
    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1.5 tbsp raw coconut oil

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked cowpeas with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt for 3-4 whistles until soft but whole. Drain.
    2. Put the ash gourd, pumpkin, green chillies and salt in a pan with the thin coconut milk.
    3. Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the ash gourd turns translucent and is soft when pressed.
    4. Add the cooked cowpeas and simmer for 2-3 minutes so they absorb the flavour.
    5. Lower the heat to the minimum and stir in the thick coconut milk. Heat gently for 1-2 minutes until just hot, without boiling, then switch off.
    6. Add the curry leaves and drizzle the coconut oil over the top. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Cut the ash gourd thin and even so it cooks quickly and uniformly.
    • Black-eyed beans can replace red cowpeas, though red cowpeas are traditional.
    • Use fresh coconut milk if possible; canned milk makes olan heavier.

    Serve with

    Kerala matta rice with sambar, thoran and pappadam as part of a sadya.

  • Appam with Vegetable Stew

    Appam and stew is the classic breakfast of Kerala's Syrian Christian homes, and it is the dish served on Easter and Christmas mornings. Appam is made from a fermented batter of rice and coconut, traditionally raised with toddy, and cooked in a small round pan called an appachatti, which is swirled to give it its bowl shape.

    A good appam has a lacy, crisp, golden rim and a thick, spongy, slightly sweet centre. The stew, or ishtu, is mild and fragrant: vegetables simmered in thin coconut milk with whole spices, green chillies and ginger, and finished with thick coconut milk. Nothing is fried brown or heavily spiced, so the coconut flavour leads.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / coconut / coconut milk / potato / carrot

    Ingredients

    For the appam batter

    • 1.5 cups raw rice (pachari), soaked 5 hours
    • 1 cup fresh grated coconut
    • 1/2 cup cooked rice
    • 1 tsp instant yeast
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • about 1 cup water

    For the stew

    • 2 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 3 cloves
    • 3 green cardamoms
    • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1 large onion, sliced
    • 1 inch ginger, julienned
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1 large potato, cubed
    • 1 carrot, cubed
    • 1/2 cup French beans, cut
    • 1/2 cup green peas
    • 1.5 cups thin coconut milk
    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste

    Method

    1. Grind the soaked rice, grated coconut, cooked rice, sugar and yeast with water to a very smooth, flowing batter. Cover and ferment in a warm place for 8 hours or overnight, until doubled and bubbly. Stir in salt; the batter should be like thin pancake batter.
    2. For the stew, heat coconut oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and peppercorns and fry for 20 seconds.
    3. Add onion, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft but not browned.
    4. Add the potato, carrot, beans and peas with the thin coconut milk and salt. Cover and simmer on low heat for 12-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
    5. Lower the heat to the minimum and stir in the thick coconut milk. Heat for 1-2 minutes until just hot; do not let it boil, or the milk will split. Switch off.
    6. To make appam, heat an appachatti on medium heat and grease lightly. Pour in a ladle of batter, lift the pan by its handles and swirl once so the batter coats the sides thinly and pools in the centre.
    7. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges are golden and crisp and the centre is set and spongy. Do not flip.
    8. Loosen with a spatula and serve straight away with the stew.

    Tips

    • The cooked rice in the batter gives appam its soft, spongy centre.
    • Thick coconut milk goes in at the very end on low heat to keep the stew creamy and white.
    • In cold weather, ferment the batter in an oven with only the light switched on.

    Serve with

    Serve the stew poured over the appam; chicken or mutton stew is the festive alternative.