Coconut oil, to me, means memories of childhood. Most of us remember our mothers oiling our hair with coconut oil and then plaiting it with pretty ribbons. My mother would sit me down after my head wash on Sundays and massage my hair with coconut oil, then comb it neatly into two plaits. Head massage was a weekly routine which was never missed. I suppose I owe my lovely thick hair partly to coconut oil massages and partly to genetics… lol.
Coconut oil plays an important role in South Indian cooking as well. This aromatic oil imparts a lovely fragrance and taste to food. I use homemade coconut oil in making all our dosas, uttappas, etc. Besides being healthy, making it at home ensures it is pure. Yes, it does take a while to make, but the end results are a marvellous golden pure oil.
Ingredients
- 5 big coconuts
- Water, as required
Method
- Grate 5 big coconuts.
- Add about 4 cups of water and blend in a mixer.
- Strain through a strainer lined with muslin cloth. Twist the cloth to squeeze out all the milk.
- Add 1 more cup of water to the grated coconut, blend again, and squeeze out the coconut milk.
- Transfer all the coconut milk into a pot.
- Refrigerate overnight, at least 12 to 18 hours.
- The coconut cream will separate from the water, forming a thick layer which you can cut with a knife.
- Discard the water and put the cream into a wok. Cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring in between.
- The oil will separate and a crunchy brown residue will be left behind.
- Strain the pure oil.
Today, the recipe I will share with you is pure coconut oil, the way we make it at home. This method separates the water and the cream, enabling us to save cooking time. I love using this fragrant oil for cooking my Indian food, especially South Indian food. Do try it.
Yield
- 5 coconuts will normally yield around 500 ml of coconut oil.