Go Coconut Crazy This Summer With Three Fabulous Recipes

We love summer for the sweet fruits it brings along — mangoes, litchis, peaches, plums, cherries, and of course coconuts by the bucketful. We sip on tender coconut water to beat the heat, add coconut milk to our Pina Coladas, grate coconut meat into curries for its rich and robust flavours, and add either of the three to dessert for that satiating final bite.

Including coconuts in the daily diet revs up the immune system owing to their anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. If that ain’t enough food for thought, coconuts help improve digestion, aide weight loss, keep the skin looking fresh and young, and pack in good cholesterol. #DSSCTopTip: Drink a glass of tender coconut water daily to supply electrolytes to your body and keep hydration levels up.

Making our way into the test kitchen, we scooped out three delicious recipes using the versatile fruit.

Coconut Martini

Our take on the classic Martini comes with a dreamy creamy spin. Add lush coconut cream to gin or swap it with your chosen sin and voila, you have a smashing drink.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Caters To: 1 person

Challenge Level: Beginner

From The Pantry:

• 30 ml gin
• ⅓ cup coconut cream
• Toasted coconut flakes (for garnish)
• A drop of natural vanilla extract

Mix Away:

1.   Pour all ingredients in a shaker.
2.    Fill the shaker with ice, stir it gently, and strain the concoction into a chilled martini glass.
3.   Garnish with toasted coconut flakes and serve.

|| Also Read: 5 Summer Cocktails You Need To Try Pronto ||

Chicken Stew

Chicken Stew is a mild and flavourful curry prepared with vegetables and chicken in light coconut gravy. This dish is traditionally served with appams, steamed pancakes, that are prepared with fermented rice and coconut milk batter.  

Prep Time: 1 hour

Caters To: 2-4 gobblers

Challenge Level: Intermediate

From The Pantry:

• ½ kilogram chicken with bones
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 2 green cardamom
• 4 cloves
• 1 small stick cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise
• ½ teaspoon fennel powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 1 onion sliced thin
• 10 french beans chopped finely
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 potato diced
• 1 green chilli, deseeded
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger and garlic paste
• 1½ cups thin coconut milk
• ¾ cup fresh or canned coconut milk, thick
• 1½  tbsp oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Mix Away:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add curry leaves along with cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, star anise, peppercorns, and sauté till fragrant.
2. Add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté till the rawness goes away.
3. Add the green chilli and sliced onions and fry for three minutes. Add turmeric powder and mix well.
4. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add the thin coconut milk and salt. Mix well and cook uncovered till the mixture comes to a boil.
6. Add fennel powder along with carrots, french beans, and potatoes, and stir. Cover the curry and simmer till the chicken and vegetables turn tender and the gravy thickens. Turn off heat.
7. Add the thick coconut milk, lemon juice and stir. Serve hot.

Thai Style Coconut Sticky Rice With Mango

This Thai style dessert consists of comforting sticky rice that is dressed in coconut milk and topped with toasted coconut. With sweet mango slices on the side, this is an exemplar of dessert that can be prepared sans added sugar.

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Caters To: 4 gobblers

Challenge Level: Beginner

From The Pantry:

• 1 cup Thai sticky rice
• 1 cup fresh or canned coconut milk
• 1 ripe mango (chilled)
• ¼  cup sugar
• A pinch of salt  
• Toasted coconut slices (for garnish)

Mix Away:

1.   Soak the Thai Sticky Rice overnight or for a minimum of five hours.
2.    Steam the rice in a vessel placed over shallow boiling water (topping the vessel with more water as required). When soft and done, remove the rice in a bowl.
3.    In a pan add coconut milk and sugar. Heat the mixture gently without bringing it to a boil. Take off the flame once the sugar is dissolved.
4.   Add ¾ cup of coconut milk to the prepared rice. Mix well and let it stand at room temperature for an hour.
5.    Meanwhile, peel and slice the mango, and keep aside.
6.   To plate the dessert, use a round shaped mould to place the rice on the serving dish. Garnish the rice with slices of toasted coconut. Add chilled mango slices on the side and serve with the rest of the coconut milk alongside for an extra drizzle.

|| Also Read: Guilt-Free Desserts: The Oasis To Your Summer Sugar Fix ||

If you have a coconut recipe that you are in love with, share it with us at editorial@dssc.co