coconut milk

Coconut milk or 'ga-ti' is made by mixing the grated meat of a ripe coconut with warm water and then squeezing out the juice. For modern cooks, coconut milk comes in a can or frozen in a plastic bag. Both canned and frozen are available at oriental groceries. Canned coconut milk is more common and sometimes available at supermarket. It costs $1 to $2 per can. Shake or stir coconut milk prior to use. The unused coconut milk will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Do not let coconut milk sit at room temperature for a long time; it tends to get spoiled easily. Prior to my discovery of frozen coconut milk, I used canned. Frozen coconut milk tastes better, especially when it comes to preparing dessert. It can be thawed and refrozen. However, when thawing coconut milk in a microwave or hot pan, do not let it boil. Boiled coconut milk will curdle, and curdled coconut milk, while edible, gives bad results. <b>What is 'lite' coconut milk?</b> I have seen 'lite coconut milk' in a can recently and wondered how can coconut milk be light. The description on one can explains that it is the second press. The first squeeze yields the creamiest of the coconut milk. It also contains the most flavor and scent. In traditional Thai cooking, the first squeeze of the coconut milk is used in curry dishes when first heating the curry. The first squeeze is also used in desserts. The latter squeezes are added to the curry to make the volume of broth (curry sauce). When I am making the broth with canned or frozen coconut milk, I dilute it with water if I feel that the sauce is too creamy or oily. If you would like a lighter coconut milk, I recommend buying regular coconut milk, shaking the can and then diluting with water yourself. You'll save money and get a better flavor.