If you regularly cook South Asian or Caribbean dishes, then a can of coconut milk probably has a permanent spot in your store cupboard. Its rich, creamy, nutty flavour and natural sweetness means it is a staple ingredient in recipes from Thai curries to Indonesian coconut rice.
Coconut milk is made from the pulverised, strained white meat in brown coconuts. The higher the percentage of coconut in the can, the more intense the flavour.
You will be familiar with the unsightly separation of solids and liquids when you open a can — if your coconut milk doesn’t contain stabilisers, the creamiest part rises to the top. It might not look appealing, but a good stir will do the job.
I love using it instead of cow’s milk to make light and fluffy pancakes. To make the batter, whisk together 1 tin of cocomilk, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 eggs, 300g plain flour, a pinch of salt, the zest of two limes and ½ bicarbonate of soda. Serve with pineapple or mango for a tropical breakfast.
Amoy
★★★★★
Sainsbury’s, 400ml, £1.95
A store cupboard essential. This has the ideal creamy-thick texture. Its sweet and nutty flavour is perfect in a curry.
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Aroy-D
★★★★★
Sainsbury’s, 400ml, £1.50
A dollopable consistency akin to a thick Greek yoghurt, with a chestnutty taste.
Coconut Merchant
★★★★☆
Ocado, 400ml, £2.75
Has an unpleasant grey colour and a Mr Whippy consistency. Quite saccharine owing to the 76 per cent coconut extract. It’s almost like eating a Bounty bar.
Dunn’s River
★★★★☆
Tesco, 400ml, £1.15
Pure white and pourable like semi-skimmed milk. It tastes pleasantly sweet and toasty but the thin texture leaves something to be desired.
Duchy Organic
★★★☆☆
Waitrose, 400ml, £2
Decent flavour — subtle and nutty — but it’s thinner than single cream, so wouldn’t thicken up a dish.
Pride
★★★☆☆
Tesco, 400ml, £1.05
Requires more than just a stir after opening — it’s completely separated into solid and liquid. I needed to whisk it together. Once I had, what I got was rich saccharine milk.
Blue Dragon
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★★☆☆☆
Tesco, 400ml, £2.50
I just about get coconut flavour here — it’s bland, has a furry texture and a gloopy consistency.
M&S
★★☆☆☆
Ocado, 400ml, £1.10
More like coconut water with a toothpaste-like blob of coconut solid in the middle that has notes of cardboard. You need a serious elbow grease to combine.
