Grated coconut is an important ingredient in any Tamil recipe. We use it for garnishing vegetables or grind it as a paste and use it as a thickener in gravies. It is also used in sweets, payasam and many more dishes. Now a days we get coconut powder at stores but home made fresh grated coconut is always the best. I usually grate it and store it in freezer for further use. It stays good for months in the freezer. If you are refrigerating, use it within 2-3days to avoid wasting the whole coconut.
There are so many varieties of graters available in the market. Use the one you are familiar with. You can also amke small slices of the coconut and pulse it in a mixer grinder until you get the required size gratings.
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Buy coconut which is fresh. When you shake the coconut, you should hear the water rolling inside. If you don’t hear any sound, then it is a very old coconut and it will not be good.
Clean the coconut by removing the extra fibres. Leave a little on top to help you hold the coconut while breaking it.
Use a sickle (aruval) to break the coconut into two. Be careful while breaking. If you wash the coconut before breaking, it will break exactly into two parts.
Keep a glass or a bowl under the coconut while breaking. This will store the water from the coconut.
The water is very tasty, so don’t discard it. My daughter is crazy about this water.
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This is the grater I use. Before using learn how it works.
Hold the half coconut in your left hand and press it against the blades. Rotate the handle and you will get grated coconut.
After grating the whole coconut, store it in a plastic box and place it in freezer until further use.
