Ingredient: Coconut Milk

Coconut milk brings richness, comfort, and a gentle Asian twist to everyday cooking. Whether stirred into a warming curry or swirled through a rice pudding, it adds a wonderful depth of flavour without the heaviness of dairy-based cream.

But not all coconut milk is created equal, and understanding the difference between tinned coconut milk and the carton versions can make all the difference to your cooking. The kind from a tin is thick and creamy, pressed straight from fresh coconut flesh, bringing a luxurious richness to curries, soups, and puddings. It’s naturally high in Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCTs), which are quick-to-absorb fats that support brain health and steady mental energy, and it is also a source of lauric acid, known for its antimicrobial properties.

In contrast, carton coconut milk is a far lighter experience—more diluted with water and designed as a daily drink. Some are fortified with calcium and vitamins and others are blended with rice to make it sweeter.

Then there is the coconut cream which whisks into a wonderful dairy-free cake icing (you pop the tin in the fridge overnight, so it thickens up) and it’s delicious whipped with a touch of maple syrup and topped with fresh berries. The cream works well in savoury dishes too and you can fold it into a curry sauce for that perfect, silky and creamy finish and can be thinned out into coconut milk by adding coconut water, water or chicken stock.

Adding tinned coconut milk brings so much to both savoury and sweet dishes. Whether stirred into a butternut squash soup (and topped with coriander) or blended into a berry smoothie, coconut milk brings richness to every bite and slurp – like a little taste of the tropics, wherever you are.