Apart from its use in a variety of dishes, Coconut milk can also be used to moisturise dry hair and also works wonders for the skin. Coconut is grated, ground to a fine paste with water and the milk extracted. Coconut milk sold in tetra packs or in powdered form can only be used in the preparation of food though they can never live up to the original one.
Ingredients :
- One large Coconut
- Four glasses of water
Method :
Dehusk the coconut thoroughly. Wash and break it into two halves. Grate and divide the grated coconut into two portions. Tip in one portion into the blender with one glass of water and grind to a fine paste. Sieve the paste or alternatively use a wet muslin cloth to extract the milk. Similarly finish off with the second portion. This forms the first extract. Keep aside. Tip the residue back into the blender. Add two glasses of water and grind. Remove and sieve the paste. Squeeze out all the milk from the residue. This forms the second extract. Vegetables are always cooked in the second extract. After they are done, the first extract is added, boiled just for a minute and put aside for the flavours to infuse.
Beauty tip
If using the Coconut milk for cosmetic purposes, keep five tbsps of the first extract aside in a separate container. This is to be gently massaged on the face and hands and washed off after a couple of hours. The skin feels smooth and soft to touch. Mix the remaining milk of the first extract with the second extract and use it to massage the scalp and hair. Leave it on for a couple of hours and shampoo hair. The result is silky and bouncy hair.
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