Produce
Grated coconut
පොල්
Also called fresh grated coconut, frozen grated coconut, scraped coconut, pol
The white flesh of a mature coconut, freshly grated or sold frozen in bags.
Origin
Tropical Asia; a daily staple across Sri Lanka, Kerala and Southeast Asia.
Flavour
Sweet, milky and nutty, with moisture that desiccated coconut lacks.
How to use it
Pound with chilli and lime into sambols, stir through shredded greens for mallung, squeeze with warm water for fresh coconut milk, or add to sweets. Frozen grated coconut thaws in minutes and is the best substitute for fresh.
Storage
Fresh keeps 2 days in the fridge; frozen keeps months. Desiccated is a different, drier product.
Recipes using it
Pol sambol
පොල් සම්බෝල
Sri Lanka's fresh coconut relish: grated coconut pounded with chilli, shallot, lime and Maldive fish. Goes with everything.
Very easyHot
Nasi kerabu
Kelantan's blue rice, coloured with butterfly pea flower, served with hair-thin raw herbs, toasted coconut kerisik, fried mackerel and a sharp fish sauce sambal.
MediumMedium heat
Bibingka
Rice-flour and coconut-milk cake baked in banana-leaf-lined tins, topped with salted egg and white cheese, brushed with butter. The Christmas cake of Simbang Gabi.
Easy
Bajan Sweet Bread
Bajan Sweet Bread from Barbados.
Medium
Conch Stew
Conch Stew from Cayman Islands.
A bit of work
Meang Nem
Rinse the rice, soak in water for about 10 minutes, then drain well. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the rice and stir constantly until evenly dark golden brown and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Trans
A bit of work
Num E (Sticky Rice Balls in Sugar Syrup and Coconut Cream)
Num E
Num E (Sticky Rice Balls in Sugar Syrup and Coconut Cream) from Cambodia.
Medium
Coconut Natilla
Coconut Natilla from Colombia.
Medium
Lao Naem Khao
Lao Naem Khao from Laos.
A bit of work
Dominica’s coconut rough cake
Dominica’s coconut rough cake from Dominica.
Medium
