Hey there! Got a box of Kara coconut cream and not sure what to do with it?!
Coconut Cream vs. Coconut Milk
Coconut cream is coconut milk’s thicker and richer sibling. It has higher fat content and less water content compared to coconut milk. As a result, it adds more creaminess and body to a dish.
How to Dilute Coconut Cream
Some recipes, especially Indonesian recipes, sometimes call out for thick, medium, or thin coconut milk. Indonesians call it santan kental (thick coconut milk), santan sedang (medium coconut milk), and (thin coconut milk).
Now how on earth does one make them from a single box of coconut cream?
There is an easy rule of thumb you should follow:
One 200 mL carton of coconut cream is made out of 2 coconuts. So one coconut is equivalent to 100 mL of coconut cream.
Practical Example
If a recipe asks you for 500 mL of coconut milk from one coconut, dilute 100 mL of coconut cream with 400 mL of water.
On the other hand, if a recipe asks for 500 mL of coconut milk from half a coconut, add 450 mL of water to 50 mL of coconut cream.
Thick, Medium, and Thin Coconut Milk from Fresh Coconuts
These terms might be quite specific for Indonesian recipes. Now if you happen to be in a tropical country, things can get simpler. In the traditional market, there are many coconut milk sellers. They will happily grate one (or several) coconuts and have them pressed for your culinary needs.
A rule for thick, medium, and thin coconut milks are:
Remember that one medium coconut has the weight of 400 grams.
Thick Coconut Milk
The ratio for thick coconut milk is 1:1. For one medium coconut, it will be 400 grams coconut meat to 400 grams water. Use warm water to squeeze out coconut milk from the grated coconut meat.
Medium Coconut Milk
The ratio for medium thickness coconut milk is 1:2. For one medium coconut, add 800 grams water to 400 grams coconut meat.
Thin Coconut Milk
For thin coconut milk, use the ratio of 1:4 for coconut meat to water. Add 1200 grams (1.2 liters) of warm water to squeeze out the coconut milk from 400 gr of grated coconut meat.
Powdered Coconut Milk
Another form of coconut milk widely sold in supermarkets are powdered coconut milk. It is much lighter and easier to use than canned or boxed, but I personally prefer the taste of fresh coconut milk!
Here is how you can use powdered coconut milk to make thick, medium, and thin coconut milk.
Thick Consistency
To create coconut milk with thicker consistency, mix 50 grams of powdered coconut milk with 150 grams of hot water. The ratio is 1:3 of the powder to water
This consistency is best used for soups or other brothy dishes.
Medium Consistency
The ratio for medium thickness coconut milk is 1:2. For one medium coconut, add 800 grams water to 400 grams coconut meat.
Thin Consistency
For thin coconut milk, the ratio is 1:6. Mix 50 grams of powdered coconut milk with 300 mL of hot water.
If you have more questions on coconut milk vs cream, let me know in the comments!
P.S. = Check out this Piscok recipe from Indonesia for your next potluck dessert! Don’t miss out on these interesting articles on food.