hi- to who it may concern :)
i have been preparing coconut milk/curry w/vegtables and shrimp and only sometimes chicken...but
my problem is i always seem to lose the coconut flavor in the dish somehow. with the curry and
spices, the coconut flavor gets lost.
i remember my freind Denise from HI used to make the most delicious coconut tasting dishes,
but i've not been able to come close to it....there seems to be some sort or secret going on that i
don't know about....
any ideas? thanks in advance!!
Dude, you disappear for months at a time, then your next post is about Thai food, not motorcycles?
[laugh]
How ya doin Kris?
most resturants i know of, use a coconut flavorer to enhance the flavor of it. which is why its so damn strong. Whens the last time you had a coconut that smelled like a night out with a bottle of 99 Coconuts? (no they dont make that,but inmagine they did!)
Or you can try a different coconut.
I only know this cause i renovated a thai resturant and the chef let me hang back there one day.
;D
Harry Nilsson - Coconut (1971) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbgv8PkO9eo#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)
You can buy coconut flavor as an extract (similar to vanilla extract or almond extract), as He Man mentioned.
Are you putting the coconut milk in at the beginning? How about adding it more towards the end of cooking?
I am so sorry friends, but, come on. Discussions of coconuts on a Saturday night on a motorcycle forum?
Throw in a good dose of insomnia and I can't help myself. I have to have to have to post this link . . .
;D
Monty Python-Coconuts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHFXG3r_0B8#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)
http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/Ingredients/coconut_milk.htm (http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/Ingredients/coconut_milk.htm)
Quote from: NAKID on June 27, 2009, 08:02:10 PM
Dude, you disappear for months at a time, then your next post is about Thai food, not motorcycles?
[laugh]
How ya doin Kris?
oh snap! hahaha.... yes, that was kind of 'nerdly' of me. Although, i have been on the Accessories & Mods section talking about doing the tail-chop on my mom's 696 [evil]
i've been good, thanks Chris! i've been laying kinda low....it's been raining here from april until a week ago, so i've been spending all my spare time on the bike. feels great.
how have you been?
Quote from: He Man on June 27, 2009, 08:44:49 PM
most resturants i know of, use a coconut flavorer to enhance the flavor of it. which is why its so damn strong. Whens the last time you had a coconut that smelled like a night out with a bottle of 99 Coconuts? (no they dont make that,but inmagine they did!)
Or you can try a different coconut.
I only know this cause i renovated a thai resturant and the chef let me hang back there one day.
Quote from: somegirl on June 27, 2009, 09:41:09 PM
You can buy coconut flavor as an extract (similar to vanilla extract or almond extract), as He Man mentioned.
Are you putting the coconut milk in at the beginning? How about adding it more towards the end of cooking?
thanks! i didn't know about the flavorer additive. maybe i'll try some...i'm not going for the overpowering suntan oil flavor, but just a little more pronounced :)
Quote from: JohnnyDucati on June 27, 2009, 09:48:00 PM
I am so sorry friends, but, come on. Discussions of coconuts on a Saturday night on a motorcycle forum?
Throw in a good dose of insomnia and I can't help myself. I have to have to have to post this link . . .
;D
hahahahaa.... Sorry!!!! ;D
Quote from: kopfjager on June 28, 2009, 12:16:50 AM
http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/Ingredients/coconut_milk.htm (http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/Ingredients/coconut_milk.htm)
great site! thanks :D
maybe i'll start using more 'regular' milk instead of the 'lite' i've been using. i've got cans of both....
Quote from: Bergweiserus on June 28, 2009, 10:30:09 AM
oh snap! hahaha.... yes, that was kind of 'nerdly' of me. Although, i have been on the Accessories & Mods section talking about doing the tail-chop on my mom's 696 [evil]
i've been good, thanks Chris! i've been laying kinda low....it's been raining here from april until a week ago, so i've been spending all my spare time on the bike. feels great.
how have you been?
Ahh, musta missed that. I don't really have a reason to read 696 threads. I've been good. iving in CT now. Gorgeous day today. End of June and less than 80 degrees is AMAZING!
Back to the question of the coconut flavor....
To get the real coconut flavor you need high quality coconut milk. None of that "Light" stuff and pretty much nothing with English writing on it. Find your nearest Asian market and buy it there (it's much cheaper too). Also, make coconut rice for your curry - use a can of coconut milk in place of half of the water in your jasmine rice.
You also need to use the proper Asian spices to bring out the flavor - subtle but key. Asian Fish Sauce and Kaffir lime leaves go a long way in giving you the authentic flavor + lemongrass. Some of the ingredients are tough to find if you don't go to an Asian market. Try to find real cane sugar for your curry as well as American sugar has no flavor but the sweetness overpowers the subtle coconut flavors.
Most importantly, whatever you do, do NOT use coconut extract. There is not such thing as real coconut extract - it's imitation. It will give your food that weird fake taste that can only be tasty with massive amounts of sugar and your curry will be about as authentic as the requisite Asian dish from the Cheesecake factory menu.
Hope that helps!
theres imitation coconut extract, and the real stuff. the real stuff isnt anywhere near as potent.
AS with the non english coconut milk. Desmolu is right. However...try to buy a brand that is made in the islands. like carribeian, vietnam, etc.
coconut milk, jasmine rice. shit. im getting hungry.
+1 on shopping at the asian grocery, that is where we always shop when preparing an asian meal (sans the meat).
Also shop at the mexi grocery stores when preparing mexican food (sans the meat as well).
whats wrong with the meat? or rather, where do u live?
DesmoLu is right.
Coconut doesn't "taste like coconut." I've never, ever opened up a young coconut and had anything that tastes like what most people think is "coconut flavor." We have a stump outside and a machete specifically for opening young coconuts, and we've made our own coconut milk from mature ones, so I feel pretty confident on this one.
Get a really good can of Thai non-light coconut milk. Pour the contents out into a bowl and let it warm, then stir it well. Taste it. That's pretty much what coconut in a curry tastes like - it's more of a carrier than a pronounced flavor itself.
Oh, and you can ride to the asian market on your Monster to buy coconut milk.
Quote from: DesmoLu on June 28, 2009, 09:55:57 PM
Back to the question of the coconut flavor....
To get the real coconut flavor you need high quality coconut milk. None of that "Light" stuff and pretty much nothing with English writing on it. Find your nearest Asian market and buy it there (it's much cheaper too). Also, make coconut rice for your curry - use a can of coconut milk in place of half of the water in your jasmine rice.
You also need to use the proper Asian spices to bring out the flavor - subtle but key. Asian Fish Sauce and Kaffir lime leaves go a long way in giving you the authentic flavor + lemongrass. Some of the ingredients are tough to find if you don't go to an Asian market. Try to find real cane sugar for your curry as well as American sugar has no flavor but the sweetness overpowers the subtle coconut flavors.
Most importantly, whatever you do, do NOT use coconut extract. There is not such thing as real coconut extract - it's imitation. It will give your food that weird fake taste that can only be tasty with massive amounts of sugar and your curry will be about as authentic as the requisite Asian dish from the Cheesecake factory menu.
yes, that helps a ton. you are right, i did some experimenting with 'first press' coconut milk against the 'lite' stuff i've been using, and it's like night and day; it is exactly the amount of flavor i was missing. next off, i will have to get some non-US coco-milk at the market.
i've been using lots of lemon grass & kaffir leaves, but i haven't been using cane sugar- thanks again for the great tips!
Quote from: mstevens on June 29, 2009, 09:06:53 AM
Oh, and you can ride to the asian market on your Monster to buy coconut milk.
SWEET! [evil]
if there is something specific you need but cant find, let me know. i can ship some of it to you in flat rate and just jam crazy whatever you want in there. Living in a major city with a large asian population = access to all sorts of crazy shit that finds their ways into shipping containers....
Quote from: DesmoLu on June 28, 2009, 09:55:57 PM
Back to the question of the coconut flavor....
To get the real coconut flavor you need high quality coconut milk. None of that "Light" stuff and pretty much nothing with English writing on it. Find your nearest Asian market and buy it there (it's much cheaper too). Also, make coconut rice for your curry - use a can of coconut milk in place of half of the water in your jasmine rice.
You also need to use the proper Asian spices to bring out the flavor - subtle but key. Asian Fish Sauce and Kaffir lime leaves go a long way in giving you the authentic flavor + lemongrass. Some of the ingredients are tough to find if you don't go to an Asian market. Try to find real cane sugar for your curry as well as American sugar has no flavor but the sweetness overpowers the subtle coconut flavors.
Most importantly, whatever you do, do NOT use coconut extract. There is not such thing as real coconut extract - it's imitation. It will give your food that weird fake taste that can only be tasty with massive amounts of sugar and your curry will be about as authentic as the requisite Asian dish from the Cheesecake factory menu.
Hope that helps!
+1
... But I still like the thai lettuce wraps @CF damn it ;D
Berg, you're cracking me up. [laugh]
Quote from: He Man on June 29, 2009, 10:25:29 AM
if there is something specific you need but cant find, let me know. i can ship some of it to you in flat rate and just jam crazy whatever you want in there. Living in a major city with a large asian population = access to all sorts of crazy shit that finds their ways into shipping containers....
Awesome! thank you....i'll let you know.
Quote from: Fresh Pants on June 29, 2009, 01:45:34 PM
Berg, you're cracking me up. [laugh]
[beer]
...we have to go riding; i'll be out there permanently
by the 16th/17th of July!
[evil]
Quote from: Bergweiserus on June 29, 2009, 02:04:33 PM
Awesome! thank you....i'll let you know.
[beer]
...we have to go riding; i'll be out there permanently
by the 16th/17th of July!
[evil]
Excellent. [beer]
The big secret in using that coconut milk is to cook it til it splits before adding your other ingredients, you just won't get that authentic Thai flavor without doing that.
I usually skim the thick "cream" off the top of the can, cook that til it splits then throw in the meat and the rest of the coconut milk and go from there.
Oh yes, you want palm sugar for the authentic taste.
If you can get Mae Ploy brand spice pastes particularly their red curry and green curry paste, they are as near as you'll get to the authentic taste out of a jar.
try serving over some coconut rice! Nice to see you round these parts friend
Quote from: DrDesmosedici on June 29, 2009, 12:37:13 PM
+1
... But I still like the thai lettuce wraps @CF damn it ;D
hmmm, those are damned good but there's no coconut flavor in them!
Quote from: brimo on June 29, 2009, 04:05:34 PM
The big secret in using that coconut milk is to cook it til it splits before adding your other ingredients, you just won't get that authentic Thai flavor without doing that.
I usually skim the thick "cream" off the top of the can, cook that til it splits then throw in the meat and the rest of the coconut milk and go from there.
Oh yes, you want palm sugar for the authentic taste.
If you can get Mae Ploy brand spice pastes particularly their red curry and green curry paste, they are as near as you'll get to the authentic taste out of a jar.
hmmmm....splits? do you mean it will start coming apart into two or more distinct components? is this accomplished by simmering?
thanks for the 'Mae Ploy' tip....i'm going to look on the internets for online ordering :)
Quote from: brix821 on June 29, 2009, 06:29:38 PM
Nice to see you round these parts friend
thanks brother! you too... [beer]
Quote from: Bergweiserus on June 30, 2009, 09:36:00 AM
hmmmm....splits? do you mean it will start coming apart into two or more distinct components? is this accomplished by simmering?
Yep just keep cooking the cream until there is two distinct parts, the oil will seperate from the rest.
Quote from: brimo on June 30, 2009, 01:18:20 PM
Yep just keep cooking the cream until there is two distinct parts, the oil will seperate from the rest.
thanks!! i'm well on my way to coconut heaven ;D ;D
anybody else buying this conversation that berg is cooking with coconut?
You know he heard somewhere that if you fill your bong with coconut milk instead of water it tastes killer, man.
[cheeky]
Quote from: JEFF_H on June 30, 2009, 02:35:26 PM
anybody else buying this conversation that berg is cooking with coconut?
You know he heard somewhere that if you fill your bong with coconut milk instead of water it tastes killer, man.
[cheeky]
nope... he tell'n the truth. he found the recipe on page 420
Quote from: JEFF_H on June 30, 2009, 02:35:26 PM
anybody else buying this conversation that berg is cooking with coconut?
You know he heard somewhere that if you fill your bong with coconut milk instead of water it tastes killer, man.
[cheeky]
Quote from: bobspapa on June 30, 2009, 02:44:08 PM
nope... he tell'n the truth. he found the recipe on page 420
OMG it's 'Rookie Night At The Apollo'
everyone knows you can't use coco-nut milk as bong-h20.......
you guys are sooo lame. [roll]