Coconut Flesh

Using Coconut Flesh in Indian Cooking

I tend to steer away from desiccated coconut as I think this has a very dry texture and not a good substitute for fresh. The easiest way to choose fresh coconut is to go for a smallish size, always give the coconut a shake to ensure it is fresh and is holding some milk.

The best way to crack open a coconut is to pierce two of the eyes with a sharp skewer and pour the milk into a container to drink or use in your dish. Crack the outside by bouncing it on a concrete floor or by covering with a tea towel and tapping with a hammer until it cracks. Remove the outer shell but the internal brown coating of the white flesh doesn't need to be removed and you can either scrape out the inside or chop into bits a whiz up in a blender.