Cooking with Rajiv: How to Make Coconut Milk from Scratch 

I'm a pastry chef at a very popular restaurant, and the owner LOVES coconut. One of our most popular desserts is Coconut Cream pie which I had almost perfected but personally was never been happy with. I'd using canned coconut milk but after watching your video, decided to try making my own Coconut Milk from scratch. OH MY GOSH!! What a complete game changer. I've almost doubled the number of pies in the last 3 weeks and we're still running out. Thank you Rajiv. This is awesome.

I've never had any interest in making my own coconut milk but dang, Raji makes me want to do everything.

Living here in the Philippines. I can bet a million times that cooking using fresh coconut milk is unbeatable compared with any other milk. Pilipino's love "ginataan" (usually vegetables dishes with coconut milk). Hard work is very much paid off.

The first birth of a yt channel for me. So often I read comments like "I've been your subscriber since you had 5000 subscribers and I am so proud how far your channel had come." And now I witness this channel growing and gaining more and more viewers. So thrilling. And this one already started out with 15.100 at the time I write this in January 23. 🥰

Finally he has his own channel! I made our bed all fancy like Rajiv showed and my husband is HERE for it! As asian kids we always chose quick functional vs fancy functional. I like this fancy stuff. We deserve this fancy stuff. Keep giving, Rajiv!❤️

I am not a fan of coconut at all, but my grandmother is; one day I’ll buy that tool and make some coconut treats alongside her in the kitchen before it’s too late. Thank you for sharing this technique and the family stories. It never feels like a random RU-vid video but more of an educational story from a friend. Happy New years!

Omg omg omg I only just saw your channel trailer yesterday, and subscribed immediately! Just woke up to the New Year and lo & behold there's not 1 but 3 lovely new videos waiting!! I AM SO EXCITED AND DELIGHTED to watch them all as soon as I get some breakfast on the way. What a wonderful way to start off the year 😊. Happy New Year everyone!

Rajiv, you are showing us how rewarding slow living can be. And I love your kitchen - it's small but it's dynamite! What I mean is everything has a history. I can tell your silverware is antique, the mirror near the stove, those french lace curtains in your room, oh I could go on and on. You have items of value, from the good old days when artisans made things by hand. What you have is a perfectly curated home. I love your lifestyle and your videos. Have a wonderful and successful 2023!

My Jamaican mom flooded me with childhood memories this past Christmas holiday with the sight and sound of her grating coconut to get fresh milk for a pudding (a dense “cake”). That “shhii-shhuu shhi-shhuu” sound means she is putting in work! I appreciate this video so much!

3 videos to welcome us in to 2023! I don't see myself ever doing this, but I loved watching the process. Thank you for sharing!

Excellent video! Love this! Quick note - the background music was way too loud. Just a note. No criticism. I’m thrilled you have your own channel 😃👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I’ve binged your HGTV videos and am ecstatic to find you made your own RU-vid channel! Can’t wait to see what you have to show us and maybe people you’d like to introduce us to ◡̈ 💛

I'm recovering from a c section. With little mobility your videos are inspiring me to bring life into my home with a new son and how I'd like to add to raisin him. Thank you. Your mom did a great job!

Thank you so much for starting a RU-vid channel. I love how you show us how to enjoy the beauty of everyday of life.

Great video Rajiv! In south India we use a little stool with the blade. It helps get all the little white bits. Also we use a clean thin white cloth to strain the coconut milk. It’s super efficient than using hand and sieve. You can just dip the whole thing in water and get more milk.

Rajiv, you make this old man smile with every entry you put out, HGTV, Instagram and now here on RU-vid! Your appreciation of the traditional ways of life and bringing their values back to life. And your expressed joy in teaching them and sharing them with us. Love your wit and your humor. Keep it up, Happy New Year and much luck with your channel! 👍

I am so excited for your new channel, Rajiv. May you have all the well deserved success in 2023!

I love your little family stories. I’m first generation American. My parents are Dutch-Indonesian. Growing up in a big family we all had to chip in and help. The best memories were made in the kitchen with my cousin’s and Tante’s prepping and cooking for a get together. Sometimes our grandmother would be visiting. She was an amazing cook, an awesome storyteller (in her combination English, Malay and Dutch), and definitely the boss in the kitchen! 🥰 You DID exactly what Oma asked without delay! Now I’m “Oma” (grandmother). Thinking back to those early days in the kitchen just warms my heart.

What a great start for 2023! Thank you for letting us share your inspired living and blessing us with your beautiful spirit.

Thank for for these gems. Much appreciated. Between the antidote about your Mother ripping out imperfect hems (obviously from the upholstery video), and now hearing about her expecting you to grind out every morsel of coconut, your pursuit of excellence seems to be in your genes and was reinforced by nurturing and example. Bravo!

We are so blessed that this content is free. It hits you in the solar plexus when he said about how the ancestors are connected to him in the noisiest city in the world in 2023. Beautiful.

i just got back for a trip to cuba to meet my father side of the family for the first time. I spent one afternoon with my great aunt in the countryside where she made me a no frills lunch and for dessert, hand scraped dulce de coco with the last little bit of sugar she had left. Ive never been a fan of this dessert in the US but Im guessing the fresh off the tree coconut makes the difference. This just brought me back to my favorite meal of the trip 🥰

watching this while drinking my fresh coconut water is DIVINE. Love your vids Rajiv!!

Perfect start to the New Year! I lived in Tamil Nadu in south India for a bit and miss Tamil food, so I am excited to see and try your recipes 😋

Enjoyable, well presented and delightful! Thank you for teaching these techniques and sharing your cultural traditions, this was indeed a treat!

Looks good. I made coconut oil once and it took a long time. You have much patience and skill. I will try to make the milk, it looks fun.

This is beautiful and your words are always lovely and on point. I'm Portuguese, been living in the caribbean for 8 years and we get really good coconut and coconut milk from the store. But this makes me want to go to to my mother in law's house and make some with her and learn her special technique. Thank you Rajiv, for sharing your culture, your knowledge and your kindness.

Love your energy that's somehow measured and a little frenetic in excitement at once. Really wonderful to see the channel, and looking forward to future productions. The curry recipes, hair routine, accessories (especially the beautiful matching gold cuffs)--would love to hear about all!

Love this!!! Would love to see more videos about Sri Lankan food, and maybe even a guide/visit to a Sri Lankan grocery store!

One of my resolutions for the new year is to make better use of what I attend to. I’m so happy to see Rajiv will have wonderful content for us all to attend to throughout the new year and beyond! Bravo!

Thank you, Rajiv! I love your videos & production style. The topics presented are always so interesting & your personality shines!!❤

Anyone else adore the moment at @11.35 where Rajiv pauses as the top runs 😍😎

I feel like this channel is teaching me how to be a true civilized adult

You go Rajiv! Congrats on your own channel! You've got yourself a subscriber all the way from Stockholm, Sweden.

Rajiv: I love that you’re on RU-vid! This channel is just what I needed: The art of living. Love the class on coconuts. Love the ode to classic cursive writing in your intro. I noticed you have a copper tea kettle. I recently bought a vintage one. How do you care for yours? I haven’t used mine yet, but I want to. Any tips?

OH MY GOD. the hammer is such a genius idea! i'm south indian and have been cooking with store-bought coconut milk, this will change my life. thank you!

Keep it up Rajiv! I’m so motivated to disconnect but only connect online to learn more practical and holistic ways of doing things with my hands. I’m looking forward to you upcoming vids. Pace yourself and breathe into this journey. No pressure but only gratitude and appreciation your presentation and care.

Congratulations Rajiv! I’ve been waiting for you to have your own channel so I could support you! Your many interest and knowledge are recognized and appreciated! Not all young people spend time around their elders (for different reasons) so they miss out on some important lessons that last a life time. I commend you for bringing what you have to the screen and now directly getting the benefit! I’ll be watching!

LOVED the childhood stories!! 😁❤ This was definitely the video I didn’t know I needed. Absolutely love your content so far!! 🙌🏻

This is so interesting. I know I could pick out a good coconut for sure with your video. I have never had coconut milk. I hope you include in your videos of stories of your homeland. So very interesting. I know your parents are so proud of you. You know so much about so many things. I want to hear about it all. I am a senior citizen, so I am trying to absorb it all. Thank you so much Rajiv

I’m excited to see more recipes!! Congratulations, Rajiv!! 🫶🏾

I didn't realise it was coconut milk from the thumbnail! Mobile is so poor for showing titles! This was fun to watch and educational, I love it!

Hey Rajiv I really enjoyed watching you crack open the coconut and story about the back yard being the usual place in Sri Lanka - I'm Australian, and remember cracking Macadamia nuts ( falling from your own tree or the neighbours hanging over the fence) with a bit of broken brick as a toddler outside the back door.... a life skill for sure...and off course you get to eat your own nuts. ... Macadamia nuts. Jacinta :)

❤ Thank you! I learned so much! I had not known how to choose or open or scrape a coconut. This was all so interesting.

Hi i am soo happy finally u started ur own channel and please do post soap and candel making videos.... congratulations for your start ...

You are a phenomenal teacher! Patient, thorough, easy to follow and understand. Love it!

Here in the Philippines, there are two traditional tools used to scrape coconut meat off the shell. One is the kayuran -- a narrow wooden bench you sit astride on (like you would on a horse), which has a metal claw extending to one side that's long enough to come up between your legs and within reach of your hands. That claw is where you manually run the shell over several times until you've scraped every last bit of the precious meat off. The kayuran is typically used in coconut plantations, fresh food markets ("palengke"/ "palenque") or in households with big families that use plenty of coconut cream ("kakang gata" -- the first squeeze) and coconut milk ("gata" -- subsequent extraction) in their cooking. For smaller households or urban homes than don't scrape coconut that often, we have hard wooden or smaller metal versions of that kayuran claw. (Looks like a fork with shallow tines and you wield it like one, running it through the meat to scrape.) Not as effective as the real kayuran blade at scraping the shell clean, though, but it'll do. 😂

I look forward to seeing your videos. So happy you have your own channel 😊

Another brilliant video - thank you for reaffirming the value of old fashioned cooking tips.❤

Your videos are so relaxing. What an enjoyable delicious lifestyle you have created. Thank you for sharing your works. I appreciate things as you do, so I understand there is a spiritual tint to all. Beautiful way of living.

Félicitations Rajiv! What a wonderful start to 2013 for absolutely everyone. Your channel is sure to be a huge success. I've already suscribed, given it a thumbs up and of course I will watch right through to the end. Kind regards from Melbourne, Australia. 👱‍♀️❤

so happy you started your own channel! I've been binge watching your old ones for the last 4 days! Good luck! Now tell us pray about your 2 kadas with the elephant heads- I am assuming you got it from SriLanka but how on Earth do they stay head side up in all your videos? Mine always fall / rotate

Each time I cruise in the islands,I find a local who is able to climb up and get me a coconut!I break it into many small chunks and snack on it during that first day!What a treat!You have inspired me to go purchase one and try to open it !Thank you!!!

My ignorant self always thought coconut water WAS coconut milk. Mind expanded!

One of the best thing about you Rajiv is, you make people smile from inside.

Thanks for sharing your childhood memories of making coconut milk at home 😊. My mom grew up in the Caribbean. She would find the coconut like you mentioned. For tge coconut water she poked a hole in the eye of the coconut with a hammer& nail. Then stuck a straw in it for us to drink directly from the coconut. She would also split it the way you did. She then let my sister & I chew the flesh immediately no utensils. To get the last bits we'd get a spoon. She would make coconut milk just like you demonstrated. She would add it to cold rice with cinnamon & butter for breakfast. Such delightful & delicious memories😊

Love it! Congrats on the channel. Like everything you do, informative, creative & elegant. All the best in 2023

So thrilled that you have ventured into your own channel Rajiv. I’ve been loving all of the videos you have created over the past couple of years or so and now to have regular posts full of wisdom delivered in your wonderfully clear and calming manner has been a joyful treat to start off the New Year.

Another proud tamil here but a 3rd generation tamil out of India in Malaysia. We tend to wring the coconut flesh in a muslin or rough cloth. After doing the other steps. Oh also we use a sitdown coconut scrapper that's literally just a serrated blade on a stool. That is some backbreaking work.

Just binge-watched all three new videos. I love them! Would also love some more videos on your clothing, classics, fabrics etc. I recently bought an authentic Guernsey because of you!!

Loved this! Sending to a friend who lives in a remote beach town in Costa Rica. He is surrounded by coconuts! He will love this! Thank you, Rajiv!

I so appreciate knowing how to chose and open a coconut, and how to get the cream and milk. I’d love to see how you make Tamil foods using the milk. I can’t wait for those videos!

This was EVERYTHING! This was an AWESOME lesson on how Coconut Milk is made. I like coconut milk I never even thought about making it myself. I am wowed! WOW! WOW! WOW! “The more you know”

You made this look so easy!!!! I am from Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 and I can smell the coconut 🥥as you did! I loved this video and will be making my own as I exclusively drink coconut milk as my milk of choice! Thank you ♥

This was so interesting! I especially like when you explained how to pick a coconut. I feel more confident to buy them now. Do you have coconut beverage recipes to recommend maybe?

I love this video and I can’t wait Tamil cooking lessons!! My in-laws, who live in Kerala, have a coconut scraper attached to a low bench. The option you’ve shown looks more apartment friendly and I’m excited to get one. Well done! Please keep making more of these

I just found you on Homemade today. I'm glad you popped up. You made a snowy day in Maine very enjoyable for this senior girl who is much like you in learning and accomplishing everything of interest then gifting or sharing your wisdom. I hope you continue this channel. You have been gifted many blessings...Trixie

Rajiv, I love how you do your videos. Very classy, artistic, pleasant and informative. Thank you and subscribed ❣️☺️

This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try this at home. Thanks Rajiv!

A tip - after extracting all the milk do not throw out the grated coconut use it in Indian stir fried veggies. It adds so much texture and tastes really nice. Rajiv yet again another beautiful video ❤

so excited for more

Growing up we always ate coconuts but I never knew these tricks to open them! And I NEED to get that coconut scraper. Growing up we used a butter knife but it only cuts it into chunks. Will definitely be trying to make the coconut cream and milk! ✨ Thanks Rajiv :)

Yay!!! Happy New Year!! Happy New Channel! 🎉⭐️

Thank you Rajiv for gifting us not one but three videos on new year day! I can see not only you collect antique ironstone but also yellowware as well. Me too! Me too!🤛🤛🤛

Rajiv. We were taught to whack on the spine that is across the biggest eye. I don't know why but this appears to work best. We use the parang, our local machete :) We can also use the blender to milk the coconut meat. Cut it into small pieces. Blend. And strain well. 🌺🇲🇾

I watched them all…loved them all. I’m so happy you have a RU-vid channel. You are an absolute delight!❤

Of course I loved this Rajiv. Wonderful! You are such a good teacher.

Hi Rajiv, gosh you just brought back a memory in this old head of mine !my Dad had a army bayonet that he used to open coconut We are Irish I’m one of 12 kids yes we’re Irish ! Anyway we only got coconut at Halloween strangely enough , but boy did we appreciate this yearly treat ! My Mammy would chew the white bits then remove from her mouth ! Gross yes sorry we knew no better!! Thank you for this lost memory! 🙏🇮🇪☘️ oh buy the way your beginning to annoy me now young man you know so much , life has thought you well ! God Bless you and keep you safe for you have so much to offer? Sending you a big Hug❤️☘️🇮🇪

Great video -- I will add one note: It's generally a bad idea to consume hot water from the tap (in the USA at least - lots of articles online and from the EPA), so it may be a better idea to boil water for this.

My Filipina grandmother (Lola) used to use a cleaver. I miss watching her cook our traditional foods. She used a makeshift scraper made from a spoon which was carved to make a "spork". The spork was screwed to a small stool. Lola would straddle the stool and scrape the coconut "meat" into a finely grated texture. As a child it became my task to grate the coconut and Lola would make sure I didn't leave any white coconut meat on the shell. Beautiful memories of my Lola and the simpler ways of cooking.

How absolutely fascinating! Love all your work and thrilled to see you have a RU-vid channel now.

Hi Rajiv! Can you please show us how to make a good Tamil chicken curry? Love your channel.

So excited for you and to see where this channel takes you! And feeling pretty lucky that I get to be a recipient of all your knowledge and craft. Thank you for sharing! Also, I love the story about your aunt getting on you for leaving coconut flesh in the coconut...food carries such powerful memories!

Rajiv, first of all, Happy New Year! I am a Brazilian born in love with Tamil food. Before I attempt to break my first coconut (you have given me enough confidence to do so!) I'll look for one of those scrapers in my go to specailty shops. I love your videos dearly, you are such a renaissance man!

Yes Rajiv, please teach us how to cook Tamil recipes. 😋

Another beautiful, educational video, Rajiv. I remember as a child watching my grandfather open a coconut just like you. I was always excited as I watched and waited patiently for a taste of the coconut. My grandfather didn't make coconut milk we just enjoyed the fresh coconut.

Such a treat to have not only one but 3 videos! I love coconut and now I need to get that tool. Thank you Rajeev for this wonderful video . Happy New Year!!

I'm so happy that you are doing some cooking videos! I can't wait to learn more about Tamil food 😊

I live in northeast Brazil, and coconut milk is used is lots of tradicional recipes. Industrialized coconut milk is tasteless. It is common to have small venders that sells coconuts and some of them have a eletric scraper, so, they scrape the coconut we buy. We extract the milk by putting the scraped white flesh into a blender with water, we blend it an then put the paste into a clean white dishcloth and then squeeze it hard.

Rajiv, thank you for your wonderfully constructed videos. Thank you for sharing your craft and interests with the world. Thank you for being you 😊

Thank you, I love coconut and I used to buy them every now and then, I opened them by flinging it out the window of my third floor window, it was wasteful. This was safer and controlled, and I have an immersion blender and a cleaver.

Love this! If you're ever able to do a similar video but for oat milk I'd be interested to see it! I purchase mine from the store and use daily.

Wonderful!! Thank you! I can't wait to try the dishes you're going to make, and I love these new videos!

This is how I wanted to start 2023! Great beginning! Happy New Year! 🎆♥️🎆

What a perfect start to 2023! Thank you Rajiv!

Im from an Asian country and I would buy the instant coconut milk. Multiple level of respect to this guy!

I love it ❤ Thank you for sharing 🙏 You are a gift to the world, Rajiv 🌺

This is of my favourite channels, with so much great information... however, i have seen one where you take us to an antique mall and point out so many great things... like don't try to take anything too large or heavy in your suitcase when travelling, or even showing things you DIDN'T buy and why. And there was another one about the chalkwork you write so beautifully for NYC restaurants, and another one about ironing. They are ALL so wonderful!!! Ive sent several of these programs to my grown children but I don't think anyone has mentioned the programs to me. Ingrates (that's a joke!), but I do think you are a fine fellow and it's lovely to hear you talk!

Love the note about the auntie! We all have relatives like that

Hi Rajiv, this is AWESOME. As a teenager, I used to eat raw coconut flesh using a dull butter knife to break it off from the shell. Yum! the only difference I would make in your preparation is that I would use boiled water as hot water from the tap contains some not so pure elements. Otherwise, beautiful! Thank you.