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Coconut in cooking

(37 Posts)
Sallywally1 Tue 14-Jan-25 11:33:11

Can anyone suggest an alternative to coconut in a curry. I have seen a recipe for chickpea curry using coconut, but. The latter is very calorific, and I am looking for something to use instead. Thanks

Kate54 Tue 14-Jan-25 11:47:35

Yoghurt would probably work - plain, full fat

pascal30 Tue 14-Jan-25 12:04:47

Almond milk..

Norah Tue 14-Jan-25 12:06:30

Broth.

Allira Tue 14-Jan-25 12:18:13

Kate54

Yoghurt would probably work - plain, full fat

Would low fat work if calorie counting is important?

I've used Greek yogurt but nothing beats coconut milk in a mild curry, we just don't have it very often.

Esmay Tue 14-Jan-25 12:22:10

Yoghurt, but it will tend to separate when heated .
You can either liquidise a couple of large serving spoonfuls of your curry to stabilise it or dare I suggest-adding a little cornflour to water and adding it?
You could use low fat coconut milk .
To be honest I'd use the full fat version and go for a calorie buring walk afterwards !

Esmay Tue 14-Jan-25 12:22:46

Burning not buring !

Marmin Tue 14-Jan-25 12:29:04

Leave it out. It is not essential. I have not used coconut milk in a recipe for years. As mentioned, full fat Greek yoghurt will do very well. Add it when heat is swiched off and stir through.

crazyH Tue 14-Jan-25 12:29:29

If the recipe says ‘coconut milk’, nothing else will do. Yogurt etc will totally change the taste. The only thing that could replace it is single cream, but that is equally if not more calorific

Sago Tue 14-Jan-25 12:39:05

Do not use yoghurt, as others have said it will separate.

Milk, cream etc will not cut it.

Coconut is an important element of a lot of curries.

You could try crumbling some coconut block in or try recipes that don’t require coconut

NonGrannyMoll Tue 14-Jan-25 15:42:01

What kind of coconut? Coconut milk (full fat or reduced), coconut cream, desiccated coconut, flaked coconut or fresh coconut? The calorie content will vary according to which it is. Coconut is sometimes looked upon as a diet "baddie" (as peanuts are, quite unfairly) but - as with any kind of ingredient - it really does depend upon which kind you use and how much of it you're eating.

Marmin Tue 14-Jan-25 16:15:52

I have used fresh yogurt very many times. As I said earlier, add when off the heat. It has never split. As for alternatives to coconut milk, there are many.

AuntieE Tue 14-Jan-25 17:00:44

if it is desiccated coconut, as I assume, just leave it out. Doing so will make little difference to the curry.

If it is coconut milk, then yoghurt or buttermilk can be used instead. The taste won't be affected by the slightly curdled look of the dish - a lot of curries that are made with milk of any kind do curdle slightly.

Allira Tue 14-Jan-25 17:04:00

I've used yogurt instead of sour cream in beef stroganoff and it sometimes curdles a little, other times not. It tastes the same.

nandad Tue 14-Jan-25 17:17:42

Yogurt does not taste anything like coconut! It will also temper or remove the heat of the curry. Use coconut water instead and a little cornflour to thicken. In a curry the coconut is used for flavour, or use Sago’s suggestion.

mrswoo Tue 14-Jan-25 17:21:01

Just a thought, has anyone tried the vegan yoghurts which are coconut based not dairy. I was wondering if they would be a good alternative to Greek yogurt/ coconut milk.
Personally I like to use Greek yogurt in a curry but am always interested in trying an alternative especially if it's a healthier option.

ayse Tue 14-Jan-25 17:23:51

Also sell lower fat coconut milk sometimes

Allira Tue 14-Jan-25 17:26:46

ayse

Also sell lower fat coconut milk sometimes

Yes.
Coconut milk is better in curries.

CanadianGran Tue 14-Jan-25 18:50:01

I just eliminate it, since I don't like the taste of coconut in savory food. I will also use a bit of plain yogurt for creaminess, but more often just go without.

Cossy Tue 14-Jan-25 19:19:03

I’m with those who say use the lower fat coconut milk.

62Granny Tue 14-Jan-25 19:22:02

If you mean coconut milk, the low fat one is fine also if you want cut down even more, use half the amount and top it up with either some stock or plain water. Or Vita coco natural coconut water is fat free, I have seen that used in recipes for Slimming World.

Allira Tue 14-Jan-25 19:24:26

CanadianGran

I just eliminate it, since I don't like the taste of coconut in savory food. I will also use a bit of plain yogurt for creaminess, but more often just go without.

It doesn't really taste the same as coconut flesh.

M0nica Tue 14-Jan-25 19:26:17

I buy tins of reduced fat coconut milk in Waitrose. You could also replace the coconut milk with other milky bases and add a couple of tablespoons of dessicated coconut to get the coconutty taste.

Frenchgalinspain Sun 19-Jan-25 11:40:50

The following products could be a substitute for the coconut milk:

Greek low fat Yogurt
Kefir - Turkish Yogurt
Almond Milk
Rice Milk

However, do note: The few calories that coconut milk has, one can walk off or exercise or count fat grams for a couple of weeks ..

The key is that coconut milk provides the curry with more depth, taste and richeness ..

It is not worth the lack of the coconut if you want an outstanding curry ..

glammagran Sun 19-Jan-25 12:31:22

I am not a fan of coconut but use coconut milk sparingly in some dishes. What I REALLY dislike is the smell of coconut in shampoo, face creams etc. oddly I’m not averse to it in plain chocolate.