TRADITIONAL FIJIAN LOLO (COCONUT MILK)
Cook time: 5-10 mins
Serves: 1-2 cups
Ingredients:
* 1-3 matured/brown coconuts (husked)
* 1/4 cup water
Process:
1. Break the coconuts open. Hold the coconut sideways in the palm of one hand (the top of the coconut is where the ‘eyes’ are, this part should be facing away from your wrist in the direction of your fingers). Using a cane knife, butchers knife (any large knife will do) strike the coconut in the middle till it cracks in half (rotate the coconut in the palm of your hand between strikes).
2. Grate the coconut flesh into a mixing bowl using a coconut scraper (pictured below), or alternatively use a blender (separate the coconut flesh from the kernel by leveraging a small knife between the two).
3. Add roughly 1/3 cup of water to the grated coconut and begin squeezing or ‘juicing’ the flesh between both hands. Place the squeezed coconut flesh aside in a separate bowl. Repeat process until all flesh has been squeezed. A second squeezing can be done by adding some more water to the squeezed coconut flesh (take care not to add too much water though)!
4. Strain lolo (coconut milk) before using to remove any remaining coconut flesh.
Notes and sources:
* Take care when cracking coconuts! (It gets easier with practice)
* Sun-dry coconut residue for homemade ‘desiccated coconut’
* Traditionally used in Fijian seafood recipes