Finding alternatives to animal-based milk has become necessary in today’s world and age, especially when people now know the significance of plant-based dairy and its vital property of quickly being digestible by the human body! Also, not to forget about the essential nutrients and vitamins that they provide. Therefore, animal-based milk, with the likes of cow milk, goat milk, buffalo milk, etc., are more beneficial than plant-based milk is a complete myth. Besides, more and more people are turning vegan, embracing a healthy life, and finding themselves as right as rain! Interesting, isn’t it? Right from almond milk to oat milk and soy milk, we have a plethora of options to choose from concerning plant-based sources. Let’s dig deeper, shall we?
Why Choose Coconut Milk As An Alternative?
Out of all the varieties of milk available for consumption, coconut milk is considered one of the healthiest substitutes! Why? This is mainly because of its high nutritional value. It is a rich source of Vitamin B, C, D, and E, accompanied by essential minerals like phosphorus, copper, iron, selenium, calcium, and magnesium. To add further, according to its nutritional value, 100 milliliter (ml) coconut milk contains 230 kilocalories of energy, which is 68% water, 24% total fat, 6% carbohydrates, and 2% protein!
All our lives, we have come across this verity that coconut milk contains a lot of fat and increases cholesterol. It is indeed true; however, there is a benevolent twist to this! Although it carries a high level of cholesterol, we don’t know that it only tends to shoot up the HDL (High-density lipoprotein), also known as the “good cholesterol”! This HDL is known to help prevent the risk of experiencing cardiovascular diseases as well! Not only this, but coconut milk also assists in weight loss, increasing the immune system, and the development of bone strength!
Interesting Fact: Coconuts fall under medium-chain triglycerides, also known as MCT. Compared to other fatty acids, the MCTs provide energy to the lymph glands and liver and do not get stored in the body’s fat deposits.
How To Make Coconut Milk?
Our food consumption at Satvic Movement heavily revolves around the usage of coconut and its milk. We consider it one of the most promising sources of rich food packed with vitamins and nutrients. Be it for using it in salads or as a substitute for animal-based milk; this miracle fruit has it all!
The process of making coconut milk is way too simple, and once it’s done, you will not regret switching to this nutritious alternative! For preparing this milk, it’s imperative to use coconut with hair. Hence, please refrain from using dry or green coconut as it is impossible to produce milk from them. So, here is a stepwise guide to making some delicious coconut milk:
- First, we will have to break the coconut. For this, one can either hit the coconut on the ground or break it into two pieces using a heavy tool. One can also use a more straightforward step to take out the kernel, that is, by using a coconut scraper.
- Then, we scrape out the white coconut kernel from inside using a knife. Moreover, one can also keep the coconut inside a freezer for fifteen minutes before taking out the kernel. It makes it a lot easier to scoop it out. You may find a thin brown covering while taking out the coconut from its shell too. It is advised not to peel this off as it is a good source of fiber.
- Now, to make coconut milk, the ratio here is critical. Thus, take only one cup of coconut kernel and two cups of water. Add this mixture and blend it for a minute. Again, ensure that the water added to this milk is not too cold or hot! Water kept at room temperature will work out fine.
- Next, take a big bowl and place a nut milk bag or muslin cloth over it. Pour the mixture into the bowl through this cloth and squeeze it with your hands. Ta-da!! The coconut milk is ready!
The best part is that the coconut milk prepared can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Although you may notice that the milk may separate in two layers after a while, it is nothing to worry about! Just shake it thoroughly and enjoy your refreshing milk, time and again!
Puzzle: You can also prepare a lot of interesting things from the leftover pulp in the muslin cloth! Can you guess what? Find the answer towards the end of the blog. Till then, keep guessing 🙂
Three Mouth-Watering Recipes Using Coconut Milk
So now that we know about this magical alternative to milk, we can certainly prepare some heavenly palatable dishes as well. Want to have a sneak-peek into some flavorsome shakes and soups that we recommend at Satvic Movement? Here are a few:
Delicious Banana Date Shake
Banana Date Shake is one of the most delicious recipes, which is also very simple to make, using coconut milk. Here is what we need to do to prepare this divine Banana date shake:
- Add one cup of coconut milk to your blender, along with two ripe bananas, three dates, two ice cubes, and a pinch of cinnamon powder.
- Now blend this mixture. One can add some dry nuts and fruits as well to make it more tasty and healthy.
- The third and final step is to take a sip of this and enjoy the fresh banana date shake using the highly nutritious coconut milk.
Cool Coconut Chaas
Another unique drink that we can make using coconut milk is none other than the coconut chaas! Yes! You may not have heard it, but we are a big fan of this! We all know how soothing this drink is during hot summers, right? The icing on the cake here is that now we know how to prepare it without relying on animal-based milk! Here are a few simple steps towards this phenomenon:
- Add two cups of coconut milk and one cup of water to your blender
- Then, add one-fourth cup of mint leaves, half a cup of lemon juice, one teaspoon of rock salt, and one teaspoon of roasted cumin powder.
- Blend this and serve it chilled to experience some fresh and invigorating splash of energy!
Interesting Fact: About 75% of the world’s supply of coconuts comes from Indonesia, the Philippines, and India combined.
Tempting Pumpkin Soup
We are definitely not kidding! This pumpkin soup is a work of art if prepared properly. At Satvic Movement, we just relish this preparation! Let’s find out through this effortless procedure:
- Add three cups of coconut milk and half a kg of steamed pumpkin with the peel.
- Then, incorporate some of your favorite herbs like thyme and rosemary in this mixture. Well, you can add two teaspoons of dry thyme and half a teaspoon of dry rosemary to this.
- Furthermore, one can also add one tablespoon of rock salt and a half-cut green chili as per your taste requirements.
- Now, we blend all of this and pour it into a bowl.
- Including some dry coconut kernel, tulsi, flax seeds, or pumpkin seeds on top will surely add some great flavors to this masterpiece! Sit back and Enjoy!
Important Note: Coconut milk is a perfect fill-in for those people who are very soy or lactose intolerant because it is easily digestible!
Folks, we now know some great dishes that can be prepared using coconut milk. The cherry on the top is that it is not just wholesome but also suffices the taste buds! Here are some more delicacies that one can make using coconut milk:
- Smoothie Bowls
- Soups
- Thandai
- Thai Curry
- Kheer (sweet rice pudding)
- Puddings
- Ice-creams, etc.
A little confused as to how to prepare these beautiful delicacies? We have thought this through and made it easier for you guys! Presenting you ”The Satvic Food Book,” a book full of such mesmerizing recipes and much more, which you can readily order from our website!
Puzzle Answer: Throwing away the leftover pulp is the most common mistake people make. Given below are some of the things you can do using the leftover pulp:
- One can use it as a scrub while bathing to make the skin brighter
- Adding some dates, jaggery, dry fruits, and a little cardamom powder can lead to some yummy sweets like ‘ladoos’
- The leftovers act as perfect manures required for the growth of a plant. It can also be an excellent food for your livestock!
Coconut milk is a recipe from the heavens! Firstly, it is not that expensive, as it is found to be of almost the same price as that of a cow’s milk. For instance, a coconut may cost us around 40 rupees, producing about a liter of coconut milk when mixed with water! Secondly, it is pretty evident that our ancestors have been using this gem of a tree on several occasions, including every inauguration, religious ceremonies, and other special events. This is just because they knew about the benefits and nutritional value of coconut. It not only helps in consuming less fat compared to cow’s milk, but the saturated fat that it does provide is also helpful for the body’s functioning. How? This is because coconut contains fatty acids that easily convert into energy, unlike any other fatty acids that get stored and eventually lead to heart ailments! You see, it cannot get any more captivating!
Interesting Facts: Lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid found in vegetable-based fats, is also found in coconut. This lauric acid is used in manufacturing an antimicrobial agent to fight viral infections!
It is also pivotal to comprehend that buying packaged coconut milk is a total no-no! We believe in preparing the food ourselves and abstain from consuming dead, processed food. Thus, having natural coconut milk instead of the ones filled with chemicals is way better. Remember, preservatives may increase the shelf-life of the packaged milk, but not the body that consumes it! Yes, we undeniably believe in getting man closer to mother nature!
The coconut palm is regarded to be one of the most useful trees in the world since time immemorial! From providing food, fuel, cosmetics, folk medicine, and building materials, among many other uses, it is nothing less than a miracle plant. In turn, the stature that the coconut fruit has, makes it very natural to regard it as “Sri Phal”, or the fruit of prosperity. No wonder, this plant is referred to as “Kalpa Vriksha” in Sanskrit (the tree which provides all the necessities of life), “Pokok Seribu Guna” (the tree of a thousand uses) in the Malay language, and “the tree of life” in the Philippines! We sincerely bow down to this wonderment and thank the almighty for showering this boon on Planet Earth!
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