HOW TO SCRAPE A COCONUT?
In my country scraping the coconut is day to day task so let me help you out.
This article is inspired by katherella who posed this question on webanswers.WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THE MEAT OUT OF A COCONUT?
If someone around me sees me typing this article they are going to give me a weird look because scraping coconuts is a day to day thing in my country. Writing this article I feel like I am writing about making your bed or brushing your teeth. It’s that simple. I being a Lankan was shocked at the answers that were posted at the above question, some said that they scrape it out with their teeth or using a spoon. That’s no fun it's crazy. You should read the answersc and I am sure you will end up laughing if your an Asian. Some commentators said to break it by smashing it on a rock ..mm...Please do read it.
When we are choosing a coconut we chould shake it. If you hear the sound of water then the coconut is perfect to be scraped the luder the sound the better is the coconut. If you hear no sound then the coconut is still tender and the meet can only be scooped out and the water drunk.
So scraping a coconut is not difficult I don’t think anyone needs help at breaking the coconuts. There are 3 veins running on the coconut from top to bottom, holding the coconut in the left hand hit the veins in the middle with the blunt end of the knife, we do it with a heavy butchers knife. Then you will get a coconut perfectly split in the middle. Sometimes it splits fast and the water cannot be used but most of the time the coconut will crack first then you can collect the water in a cup and split the coconut using the sharp end of the knife tucked into the crack.
(This water is a good moisturizer for der skin, just wash your face in it and let it dry off. You can wash off after 15 to 30 minutes, This water is good for the function of the brain sometimes we put it in a bottle and feed infants with it)
Mostly the coconut cracks along with the meat but if the coconut is too dry only the shell will crack and the meat will not. When you see that only the shell has cracked and the water doesn’t seep out then without splitting the coconut into two put it in a pot of water for 5-10 minutes then crack it open.
The first time you do it, don’t expect perfect results but within a few times of trying you can get neat coconut halves.
The coconut water has its health benefits but in my country we mostly drink the water of king coconuts these are also sold on the roadside on hot days. It is sold with the top neatly cut and a straw inserted.
Back to our topic, all that you have to do now is scrape the meat out. In the answer above you get different views as to how to get the total meat out and chop it. If you want to desiccate the coconut all that you have to do is scrape it with the scraper.
A basic coconut scraper is a a flat circle made of iron attached to a chair or a table and iron piece has tiny spikes like thorns. When you pass the coconut on in with some pressure you get fine desiccated coconut that you want.
If you want the milk, put this desiccated coconut into the juicer pour in slightly warm water 2 tea cups for a coconut. Then blend it. Strain and squeeze the juice to get thick coconut milk which will be creamy and thick.
Then juice the coconut again with around 6 cups of water to obtain thin coconut milk. This can be repeated 3 times maximum.
If you want a coconut scraper I can DHL it to you, but I have no idea how the transactions are going to take place.
Here is the basic dish that we make with coconut.
from left to right. Thick milk, thin milk, coconut tree and king coconut tree.
POL SAMBOL [COCONUT SAMBOL]
Sambol means salad in Sinhala [one of the main languages in Sri lanka].
Half a coconut scraped
1 onion
2 green chilies
1 Tbsp chili flakes
Salt to taste
Few curry leaves chopped
Juice of 1 lime [or little tamarind pulp]
[Dry fish pieces and tomatoes are optional]
Mix it together with your fingers until the coconut turns slightly orange. This serves for a family of 5.
This is normally eaten with bread or plain steamed rice.
You have to try this, it’s awesome and In case you have the privilege to vist sri lanka then you have to request for this.
In sri lanka we have coconuts all year round and majority of houses have a coconut tree. And you will normally get 15 – 30 coconuts every month.
We use coconut its meat or milk for all 3 of our meals.
But if you are living in a country where you get coconut only in seasons remember to make this.
KIRI HODI [COCONUT MILK GRAVY/SAUCE]
This sauce is very light tastes awesome and it healthy.
This is normally eaten with bread.
Thick and thin milk a coconut
1 onion [cut]
2 green chilies [cut]
1 capsicum [cut]
½ a tomato [wedged]
Few curry leaves
1-2 tbsp Chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of cumin powder
Juice of ½ a lime
Salt to taste
Mix all the ingredients in the thin coconut milk and heat it over a medium flame. When the raw smell of the spices has gone and the onion turns white. Pour in the thick milk and heat it till thick. Don’t let it over boil the coconut milk will clump together.
Hope this article interests you.
And of course you can make meat dishes, vegetable dishes, drinks, salads, Deserts, sweets and even cake with coconut.
some of the other dishes to make with coconut are.
- Spicy chicken curry
- Spicy beef curry
- Spicy and non-spicy fish curry
- Potato curry
- Tomato sambol
- Green bean curry
- Coconut milk (Pol kiri) - a dish in itself, usually used for gravy with Pittu
- Milk gravy (Kiri hodi) - Coconut milk with a dash of saffron and onion, usually used for gravy with String-hoppers
- Milk Rice (Kiri bath)
- Coconut Toffee (Pol Toffee)
- Pol Pani
- Coconut Cake (Bibikkang)
These dishes are all Sri Lankan and hopefully inshaAllah I will try to upload them all.
Now you can scrape your coconut instead of buying them in a bag. And mentioned in this article are the easiest ways.
HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.
Hope I covered everything if you still have doubts please comment below.
All comments are welcome.
