Coconut milk is the main component in many traditional dishes such as rendang, opor ayam, and soto. With its savory taste and soft texture, coconut milk gives dishes a distinctive and creamy taste. Not only savory dishes, desserts or traditional snacks also become more delicious if mixed with coconut milk .
Even though it is an important component in cooking, not everyone can use coconut milk well. This is because the coconut milk used usually needs to be cooked first. Well, cooking coconut milk is often a challenge because it breaks easily.
Coconut milk breaks down when the fat separates from the liquid, causing the appearance and texture of the dish to become less attractive. This usually occurs because the temperature is too high or heating for too long. Therefore, it is important to cook coconut milk carefully.
However, if it is already broken, the coconut milk must be repaired immediately. A number of people usually stir coconut milk for a long time. Apart from that, there are also those who choose to add a piece of banana leaf to blend the coconut milk back together.
Apart from these methods, there are other methods that can be used to repair broken coconut milk. An Instagram user @yenni_indah31 once revealed the trick further through one of the uploaded videos. He admits that he doesn't use banana leaves, but there is another tool that is no less effective in repairing broken coconut milk.
Instagram/@yenni_indah31
Reported by BrilioFood from Instagram @yenni_indah31 on Thursday (8/8), the tool in question is a filter. In the video, he uses a small wire tea strainer with tight holes. So, this filter will help the coconut milk come back together and make it tastier when used as a cooking mixture.
Instagram/@yenni_indah31
To be clearer, you can stir the coconut milk directly using the filter. It doesn't need to be too tight, just stir gently while pressing. Do this process repeatedly for several minutes. "Coconut milk that breaks will turn into lumps and grains. So, using a strainer here helps break up the lumps of coconut milk so the coconut milk can come together again," explained Instagram @yenni_indah31.
Instagram/@yenni_indah31
Now, the coconut milk that has been stirred will come together again and be thicker. That way, coconut milk can be used directly to mix various dishes or foods. Guaranteed the taste won't change to make the food tastier. Apart from this technique, you can use other methods when using coconut milk for cooking so that it doesn't break easily. One way is to add coconut milk at the final stage of cooking, so it only requires a short heating time. Additionally, mixing a little cornstarch or rice flour into the coconut milk before cooking can help stabilize the emulsion and prevent separation. With proper care and technique, coconut milk can be used effectively to enhance the flavor and texture of a variety of dishes without the risk of breaking down.