Perhaps you recall a few weeks ago when I told you that I'm nuts for coconuts? Well, it turns out that I'm also obsessed with finding a grater that's going to grate a coconut the fastest with the texture I'm looking for; and that my friends is what this week's column is all about. Go read it and see how I went about the process.
Here are the four graters I used
I don't know the proper names for the first two graters so I gave them practical names.
Here's what I found out:
Please click on the image above to enlarge and see the various results (Update: The problem has been solved. If you cannot see a larger version of the image, please email me. Thanks). Do be sure to read the column for my notes on cracking the coconut and the steps necessary in order to work with these graters. Click here to see a slide show of the graters in action and for a close-up look at them as well as the various textures they yield. 
My good friend over at East Meets West Kitchen, recently posted about coconuts also and her quest to find a particular grater. Be sure to check it out.
So what did I do with all the grated coconuts? Made a few things and then froze the rest.
The first thing I made was coconut bake, one of the bakes that Trinidad & Tobago is noted for. I adapted the recipe from here.
When I asked Can Cook Must Cook, what's the best thing to serve with this bake, she said sharp cheddar cheese and for us it means, New Zealand or English Cheddar Cheese.
Though I made bunjol and fried smoked herring to have with the bakes, it really is best with the cheddar cheese.
For a tea-time snack, I made shortbread coconut cookies.
And for dessert, oh yeah, gotta have some coconut ice cream.
Please email me if you need any of the recipes.
97 comments:
Oooohhh.... COCONUT... it's a no no for me!! :)
However, nice food!!
Wonderful coconut recipes! I have been loving coconut since I was a kid :)
My paternal grandparents own a coconut farm. As you can imagine, coconut is added to every dish everyday and nobody has died of heart attack so far there, just natural causes like old age!:D
Love Coconut.We use that 2nd type of grater in India.
A huge plank attached to it to the metal with wide wooden plank underneath to catch the coconut gratings. They sit on the wood and grate half the coconut to grind in a stone grinder with other spices!! Good exercise for arms you know! Don't need any iron dumbbells!!:D
All the dishes look delicious.Enjoy the weekend sweets:))
Cynthia, cynthia...there you go tempting me with new zealand cheddar again. lol. I am so going to make that coconut bake. Looks delicious!
Cynthia,
How I admire your culinary experiments on our behalf! Thanks for that.
The last (and probably only) time I dealt with a fresh coconut, I DID use the axe side of a hammer. But I didn't want to destroy my counters, so I put it in a BIG stainless steel mixing bowl first. DUMB! The coconut rolled around and the bowl still has the pit marks of the shell trying to make its way through the steel. WHERE did you crack the coconut?
Great article, as usual.
Great post, very interesting.
Good round up on graters Cynthia. Luv the coconut bake. I wish I can find some time to bake this. For time being I enjoy seeing your pics.
Cynthiya, Coconut icecream yummo, so which was is your personal favaroite, I hesitate to use coconut because of the grating.
A spreadsheet!!! You are a woman after my own heart, Cynthia. Must try the tray bake. Coconut is one of my favourites too. :)
Thanks for going through that trouble ...I love the coconut bake and English cheddar is our favourite cheese :)
Wow Comming from Kerala in South India. We had almost everything with coconut. And thar was fresh coconut. SO love them.
Yeah Like asha said in my mothers house she also have one like that to grate the coconut. And i think that was the best
so this is that sit down grater or chirava as we say in Kerala, you got from home recently right :) I have not use box grater for this purpose
I can't read the spreadsheet at all. It doesn't enlarge for me to be legible.
So...I still don't know which was the better grater....maybe you could put a table instead of an image?
I buy frozen grated coconut from the Indian store, since I am too lazy to grate it myself... I couldn't read the chart either, even after I downloaded and expanded it... Can you please, please pretty please post a bigger version? :) I would love to read that....
What a spread!!!
Oh well, I use desiccated coconut. I´m not much of a coconut fan.
Cynthia thanks for going nuts and giving all that useful information and the dishes all look delicious,
I buy whole coconut only when I am upto finishing all of the coconut in a couple of days-coconut chutney and Vegetable Kurma will do that :)
Hammer and knife is what I use.
Rest of the time use frozen grated coconut is available in the freezer.
wow.. i am lazy and like to get frozen coconut too but nothing beats the taste of fresh coconut! i cant read it either.. the ice cream! the cookies.. my eyes are bulging!
What a fantastic experiment! I love all of your creations.
I'm in total awe... I really like coconut and I'd love to have a taste of all your scrumptious creations!
Cheers,
Rosa
Hi cynthia,
how r u?
Thank u so much for sweet enquery ...
I was bit busy and couldnt come to other blogs...
wat gr8 spread with coconut.My fave is the cookies.
that was one amazing slideshow. will send you an e-mail tom.
I'm very ashamed of myself! Coconuts are abundant in my garden & I haven't even thought about using them as much as you did CYnthia. Geez, I should follow your example!
And all the dishes look really really good. Absolutely AMAZING. I'm feasting my eyes.
Oh My! So I think your arms should be quite full of muslce now from all that shredding! I had never seens two of those graters before in my life, and I think they are very clever looking little shredders...I dont really like coconut, but that ice cream youve posted looks very delicious. I dont like the texture of coconut but I do like the flavor, so I think I might try this ice cream someday soon...Not to long ago I made Coconut macaroons and Coconut basboosa(arabic sweets)...If you are curious to see it you can find it here:
http://sultanaspalate.blogspot.com/search/label/coconut
Thanks for the great info on the shredders, I know it took alot of effort!
hi
cynthia ,
you know coconut is a staple in our diet as we are natives of coastal region which has lots of coconuts and fish.
i use coconut in my cooking everyday; the quantity changes with the type of dish made but using is a must like i even garnish a vegetable with coconut.
i will click a picture of my cocconut grater from goa
Gosh Cynthia!!! You are one perfectionist!!
Amazing coconut recipes!! Shall i tell you something, I usually go for the easiest option when it comes to coconut, I buy from a Kerala Shop(famous for its rich n tender coconuts n spices n many more) who sells sliced, grated and fresh coconuts so lots of choice u see!!
u make me hungry nw...
Cookies are looking great cynthia!:)) Coconut really adds flavour and taste to any dish!!:))
It's lovely Cynthia. The bake and icecream awesome. The cookies are so professional. YOu rock. Viji
used to grate cocnuts to...actualy ast trip i bought a well known grater...but all i do not is cut the coconuts in small pcs and run them thru the processor!! can u post the shortbread cookie recipe please :)
Cynthia, I have adored coconut from the time I was a child. I would always request a coconut cake for my birthday, and I loved coconut ice cream.
I've never even seen the last 2 graters on your list, but after watching the slide show, I want that last one! That looks like one very serious grater!!
mmm, more delicious, beautiful dishes. I love your blog!
Hi Cynthia. Filipinos also use a similar grater to that "sit down" grater you refer to. I'm not sure what the native term is for it, but I always called it a "coconut horse" since it had four legs and you sat on it to grate the coconut over the blade.
I vote the "rotary" grater (which we would just call a coconut grater in the U.S. - a rotary grater is different, at least for us). I think this allows for more texture and less moisture lost in the mechanics.
Great yummies no matter how you grate/grind them!
what yummy recipes. I love coconut. Those squares with cheese look so delish.
How informative! i love coconut, but grating it myself seems too much hard work for me... I wish i could be in Asia, where they sell freshly grated coconut @ the market!
Oh yes, Cynthia.
You gotta have some coconut ice cream.
I'm scared of fresh coconut (not in a weird way - in a culinary one) because of that impenetrable outer coat, but you've convinced me. I think I can...
marvelous experiments with the coconut greaters and such yummy looking results!
You are brilliant! I don't love coconut (I know..!) but I appreciate the effort you made for this research!
LOvely recipes!!! but am so lazy to grate coconut..something i do only if i am really forced to :)
I love this post - it is fabulous! Coconut is one of my favorite flavors, and I am so intrigued by the coconut bake. Yours looks very different from the original recipe. What was the modification that you made? It looks so good!
coconuts are a part and parcel of our lives, Cynthia..Kerala in English, Keralam in our mother -tongue itself meand the "Land of Keram", which stands for Coconut...luv just anything that u come up with coco's...
Its a good experiment with the graters!Tempting recipes too..!!
Thanx for sharing..
The hand-box grater is called "rivjärn" in Swedish. (That Swedish word is also a nickname used by men for women with a certain character:)
Well, I am a coconut lover too, and I have been experimenting with the sweet coconut bread recipe you e-mailed me (4 times so far). I didn´t bother to take a fight with a coconut. Dessicated worked fine, and the bread is worth all the flour I have spent on the experiments. It crumbles, you see. I haven´t really found the perfect amount of flour yet.
Oh..thats a lovely menu of recipes & coconut is one of my favorites & here also we make so many delicious dishes out of coconut...really a tempting post with some excellent shots as always!
Hey Cynthia, I wish I was able to get coconuts on a regular basis to experiment different recipes with! The coconut ice cream looks incredible...! I can imagine it being delicious as ice cream sandwiches between two shortbread cookies...!
www.chocolateshavings.ca
Cynthia.......Nice info on graters.........Just checked out the slideshow :-)
all the dishes look awesome but I liked coconut cookies best :-)
My My... wat a great recipes with coconut!!! I just love all of them!!!
And Iam just in love with the coconut Icecream!!!
I love coconut too, in fact coconut, mango and pineapples are some of my favourite fruits, must be the sunshine taste!
The bottom two graters look like insturment of torture! Haha.
Great coconut recipes =)
We use quite a bit of coconut in our cooking, especially since the Sambar in our house is made very ofetn with freshly ground spices rather than podi. There is a coconut flavoured Rasam (soup) that my grandmom makes that simply out of the world.
Coconut Cookies look so awesome - I'll mail you for the recipe :)
I'm cuckoo for coconuts.
I cheat--I just buy coconut already grated. (Hard to find inexpensive, fresh coconuts all the way up here!)
hey, i liked ur 'grate' experiment, it is 'great'..sorry could not resist ....LOL
i use the frozen coconut all the time, very handy :)
What a visual feast, including the graters :P
I like coconut-milk flavored rice.
you seem to be a great coconut freak! lovely pics and the ice cream looks tempting even in winter:)
In south India, coconuts are a must item for cooking traditional sambars and poriyals and kootus.
I know many families in south INdia, who regularly use one full coconut per day for cooking.
Coconut chutney and burfi are my favorite coconut items.
I just loved reading this post!
Thanks!
In south India, coconuts are a must item for cooking traditional sambars and poriyals and kootus.
I know many families in south INdia, who regularly use one full coconut per day for cooking.
Coconut chutney and burfi are my favorite coconut items.
I just loved reading this post!
Thanks!
Yum Yum Yum, Cynthia! Aren't these little research projects so much fun!?
wonderful recipes!!
Wow, Cynthia, what a gorgeous post! I want everything on here now! You literally got my mouth watering!
wow!!!excellent one ....awesome .
you have been rocking and still rocking with this one ..
Hi Cynthia,
Wonderful and delicious recipes of coconut...hmmm particularly i liked cookies and cake alot...awesome presentation too.
Sounds like a tasty experiment. That coconut ice cream looks really good!
Cynthia, I would say that at least two of those graters are very popular in India. My mom has both of them:-). I don't have either, and always use frozen grated coconut.
I too love coconut and anything with coconut:-)
Your cookies and the cake look fabulous!
I am not a big coconut fan but do like it in some recipes. We made Coconut Laddos yesterday, do you do that ?
Cynthia, I'm drawn most to your coconut ice cream...ahhhh!
OMGosh! Coconut is my favorite food in all the world. After all, I'm part tropical, I grew up in Florida!! Trouble is I'm gluten free and can't eat those cookies that are making my mouth water in double time. What an awesome post my friend. PS: Am I still waiting on photos with blue from you? I've been so busy, with designing and fall photos, I feel I must have missed something.
cynthia, nice post on coconuts! i am from Kerala, the coastal state of India. Kera means coconut and Kerala means the land of coconuts. coconut is an essential ingredient in almost every dish in Kerala.
i have sent you an email. please send me the recipes for coconut bake and coconut icecream.
Coming from the land of coconut trees, I feel it is really interesting..I buy grated coconut from grocery stores.Still I don't know how to cut like people from my place do, they break coconuts with the back side of big knife, just one cut two pieces!
Cynthia, please check my coconut oil blog, as Asha said, no body died because of coconut in my country!
http://coconutoilforhealth.blogspot.com/2007/03/coconut-tree-kalpavriksha.html
Loved your dishes...
You reminded me of home. The graters are similar to one we use back home. I never thought such a little thing would make me nostalgic.
Cynthia,
Here in Malaysia (in those days at least) we used to have the sit down scraper. We also had small shops that had motarised rotary graters that gave Excellent grated coconut. All long gone now as it is readily availabe grated at the supermarket but still fresh and not the dried kind!! :) Great Recipes too!
I'm probably the only person around here who buys a whole coconut, cracks it and grates it on the sit down grater/chirava (as we call it)!! I do buy grated coconut when I'm short on time, but hate it coz I think they haven't washed those machines in ages!! Informative post, Cynthia! :) You've been tagged!
I have sweet teeth today and would love some of the cookies and the icecream.
I've never heard of bunjol with fried smoked herrings. It does look really delicious. Would love to get that recipe.:-)
Great post and very informative, Cynthia! I always had an affair with coconut but grating part turns me off! I used to fight on this with my mom... so my lil sister used to help her on this
Hi cynthia,
How r u ? Gr8 post cynthia....i jus love all coconut items .THanks for sharing.
Nice graters my dear but when I click on your slide shows then not to see any slide show what the problems? I always love the cookies my dear plz send some for coconut taste. Not to say any words for your coconut ice cream. Delicious plate.:)
My dear,like always your coconut recipe are the best that I saw.I saw in Brazil grated the coconut with a kind of spoon ,I don't remember what it was ,but if a find I been send to you by e mail.
Cynthia - your posts are always so interesting and multidimensional. And your photography is always so crisp. I really enjoy your site.
Really, really interesting...
By the way, have you ever tried microplane graters?... I use them long ago and are really wonderful...
I have tried your curried eggs recipe. It doesn't look as nice as yours, but it was really delicious!!!... I invite you to have a look at it, if you want...
Oh Cynthia!! I am so happy you posted this -- I have been wanting to buy a rotary grater for the longest time but having no idea what it looks like, nor the end result -- well I just couldn't justify it when I already have a food processor (and box grater I might add -- not to mention availabity of packaged grated coconut in the shops). Now I think I will invest in the rotary grater and try some excellent fresh coconut. Thank you so much! :)
YUMMY. Is there really anything more to say? I love that your posts are always so informative and full of helpful pictures!
OMGosh! I'm a coconut lover from way back, and your creations look yummmmmmmo. And, LOL, love your grating experimenting! You go, girl. Helpful info. Now I literally have a real picture of the way to handle those round wonders. Right now I use coconut milk from a can in my coffee, so you can see that I am really starting from scratch, here! ;-)
I read this the other day, but forgot to comment.
I was just going to say, I found this interesting, and would like to see more posts like this in the future.
It's kind of like Cook's Illustrated.
LOL cynth... i loved ur grating experiments ;) i leave all smashing, cracking and grating business to my hubby dear ;)
I love coconut. Next time I would like to taste everything. Have a good week-end.
My my.. I am a week behind,Cynthia. Been busy. But thank God I came at least now. For I would have missed such a coconut-ty treat. I thoroughly enjoyed this post :)
Hi Cynthia! I'm sorry I'm so late stopping by to visit. What an interesting post, and who ever knew how versatile coconut really could be? Isn't it amazing how its lends itself equally well to sweet as well as savory dishes...great post, as always. :-)
Just read the spreadsheet - 7 seconds to crack open coconut!!! you are my hero!
That ice cream has my name written all over it.
I never took to coconuts in my cooking - for three reasons, I don't particularly care for the taste, but more importantly, could never find the kind of grater we had at home nor would the meat seem to grind easily in any of the mixers I possessed - I've described the rotary grater we used to have in one of my articles on my blog.
Yum, coconut. And—I remember the New Zealand white cheddar from my time in Grenada! We were always getting that cheese.
New Kid, Meeso, Valerie, Rina, Wendy, Sunita, Happy Cook, Indo, Archana, Truffle, Rosa, Bee, Padmaja, Jackson, Latha, Viji, Kelly, Saju, Anh, Lucy, Veron, Kristen, Raks, Kalyan, Sirisha, Cinnamon, Lakshmi, Urban Vegan, Richa, Tigerfish, Sharmi, Kumudha, Jenn, Rohini, Amanda, Deepa, Usha, Kevin, TBC, Peter, Mocha, Amanda, Padma, Sylvia, Lori-Lynn, Delokos, Elly, Carolyn, Emilie, Sig, Sia, Helene & Suganya - thanks my friends for sharing your nutty thoughts and praises. Big hugs to all of you.
Ahsa - I agree with you, when you do chores and cook from scratch doing things like grating coconuts, who needs the gym? :D
Sue - oh my, I can imagine what was taking place in that bowl. I held the coconut in one hand and with a hammer in the other, I striked the coconut a couple of times.
Thanks for your continued encouragement and support. It really means alot.
Kalyn - thanks very much and a very warm welcome to you. I look forward to seeing you around.
Sreelu - I would have to say the rotary grater is my favourite. However, I very much like the texture of the box grater but it not only takes a lot of time but also damage the skin of my fingers!
Shn - I got the sit-down grater from home, yes. (Guyana)
Lilandra - Thanks for stopping by. You should be able to see the spreadsheet now.
Sig - bigger version at your disposal. :D
Puspha - welcome, welcome, thanks for taking the time to visit and thanks for your kind comments. Hope to see you around.
Priar - I'm fine thanks. You were missed and it is good to have you back.
Valentina - yeah, you should follow my example! :)
Sultana - I thank you sincerely for your very kind comments. Will definitely check out your post.
Mahek - yes, please show me your grater.
Rajitha - recipe on the way!
Toni - it is :D
Marvin - a coconut horse, makes sense :)
Susan - can you send me a pic of the rotary grater you referred to?
Rachel - it is a pleasure to welcome you to my blog. Thanks for visiting and I hope you come back when you have the time.
Mallow - Thanks! I used all-purpose flour throughout and fresh coconut instead of reconstituted dessicated coconut.
Kitchen Scientist - thanks for that bit of info.
Karin - hmmmmm. I'll email you.
Thanks for the bit on the Swedish name. And the nickname stuff - hilarious!
Jenn - I can just imagine the fantastic stuff you would make.
Kelly-Jane - instruments of torture - that's a good one :)
Sandeepa - I've never personally made it but it is made in these parts.
Betty Jo - you have not missed a thing :D
Lisie - thanks for sharing. Recipe sent.
Seena - Thanks for sharing too. Will definitely check out your post.
Dharm - good to see you again! Ouuuuu, I would love to get one of the motorized rotary graters! That would really be great. Now you have me obsessing. :D
Jyothsna - I have a kindered soul! Will check out the tag.
Kajal - I checked it and it's working.
Linda - good for you!
Belinda - you're never late! Yes, I do like how the coconut works well with savoury and sweet dishes.
Jaden - so happy to have you back! BTW, the look on your face as the woman passed you on the steps: priceless! (lol)
Sra - oh yeah, I remember from the last coconut post that you're not a fan :) I'll check out your post.
Lisa - yup, that New Zealand cheddar cheese we love in these parts :)
soo much with coconut..all in one go!! u really must LOVE coconut!!!
Donno how I missed this Cynthia. Nice post with lots of info about the coconut and fabulous food.
I always used the sit down grater growing up, we had one made out of an old machete blade...it works way faster and better, in my opinion, than a box grater like people usually have in their kitchen.
hi cynthia:) such nice information, at the right time came across your blog, coz me and hubby were searching what is the way to crack open a coconut in US, and how effective are the graters we found in the stores, u hit the nail by giving the exact info we needed , Thanks a Lot! I too hae a blog which mainly has indian food (mainly south indian) , when u get time, do visit,Thanks a lot again got the info:) u made my day!
Ok, I'm three months behind...HOWEVER, I must say, I LOVE COCONUT!!! I love coconut in sugar cake (candy); I love coconut tart which is my favorite tart hands down; coconut drops, and coconut dumb bread. Heck, I even use coconut oil on my hair! ;)Cynthia, I enjoyed watching your slide show on the different types of graters that can be used to grate coconut as well as your chart.
Very yummy coconut recipies!
what is this White Flour used in Coconut bread? can u tell me i really want to try that.
thanks in advance.
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