For this recipe, I will be using both coconut milk and coconut water. Coconut milk is used in Thai cooking in many different ways. From curry mixes, stir frying, snacks, and desserts. There are several forms of coconut that you can find on the market; coconut milk, coconut water, coconut oil, etc… Coconut milk, specifically, is made by a process of grating and soaking coconut flesh in heated water. This allows for the coconut cream to rise which could then be skimmed. The liquid that is left is squeezed through a cloth and produces a white creamy extract that is the coconut milk. Coconut water is simply the clear liquid inside coconut. You will also need an Ice Cream Maker.
Coconut Ice cream -Light texture, aromatic, not too creamy with a little bit of sweet and nuttiness
I remember my first coconut ice cream by the street vendors in Thailand when I was a child. It was light in texture, aromatic, not too creamy, and has a little bit of sweet and nuttiness. It was full of flavors! It was a refreshing and perfect treat on a hot Summer day. To me, it’s perfect for everyday 🙂 This recipe came to me when Peter and I had a coconut ice cream at a Thai restaurant a few months ago. It was rarely authentic and delicious. I had a flashback on my first bite. It tasted almost exactly like the one that I had when I was a child. We came home and still raved about how good it was. So I started to make it because the one small scoop that we had at the restaurant was not enough for us :p
Personally, cooking with simple ingredients is the best. There are only four ingredients: A can of coconut milk (I use a “for dessert” version), actual coconut, palm sugar (in tablet form), and arrowroot cornstarch. I also get a bottled “real coconut water” as an optional ingredient I can add – just to be on the safe side in case I don’t have enough coconut water to make the ice cream. My favorite brand is Harmless Coconut Water. Buying one or two coconuts require some guess work whether it contains enough amount of coconut water for what I need. This particular bottled brand of coconut water is made of real coconut water and tastes really good. Not like the ones that are artificially flavored. If there are no coconuts at your local market or is out of season, Harmless Coconut Water (or a good similar brand) can also be used to entirely substitute the actual coconut water. This recipe doesn’t have any eggs and dairy, so vegans or people with lactose intolerance like me can enjoy this ice cream as much as they want 🙂
Ingredients – Palm sugar, Arrowroot cornstarch, Coconut milk, and Coconut
Ingredients
1 tbsp Arrowroot cornstarch
5 tablets Palm sugar (about 70 grams if you use the paste)
1 can of coconut milk (dessert version - recommended)
2 1/2 cups coconut water : separate the coconut water and the meat
Optional - Coconut water (Harmless Coconut Water - recommended)
*Appliance needed: Ice Cream Maker
Instructions
- Shake a can of coconut milk before opening then equally separate them into two parts.
- In a small pot, mix the first half of coconut milk with palm sugars on low heat. Stir until palm sugars dissolve.
- Mix Arrowroot starch with the other half of coconut milk. Whisk until Arrowroot starch is dissolved.
- Pour Arrowroot mixture into the small pot with the other coconut milk. Still keep the heat low. Stir the sauce base until it turns smooth. The sauce will get thicker and thick enough to coat the spoon.
- Slowly pour 1 cup of coconut water ( if you don't have enough coconut water from an actual coconut, add coconut water from a bottle) then lightly whisk them together. Turn off the stove. Pour the rest. Still whisk until everything is thoroughly mixed together.
- Let it cool down for about 10-15 mins before adding the mixture to an ice cream maker. To help the mixture cool down fast, put it in the refrigerator.
- Add the mixture to your ice cream maker and follow the operation instructions. After the mixture starts to get an ice cream texture, add some coconut flesh you scraped from your coconut.
- The machine that I use is homemade machine so after 20 mins it gives me a soft texture that can be served right away. You can also pour the entire ice cream from ice cream maker to a container and freeze in the freezer for 3-4 hours to get a more solid texture.