Coconuts And Spices: 5 Flavour Pairings For Dishes And Drinks

One of the most integral tropical ingredients used in preparing savoury and sweet dishes, along with being incorporated into mixology, the coconut has endured as a very popular fruit across global gastronomical cultures. With a hard exterior that carries a soft and mellow, white-coloured flesh inside, a ripe coconut is complete with creamy and sweet flavours. Coconuts are versatile ingredients and can be turned into milk, oil and freshly grated coconut shavings that are used as flavour builders and garnishes in a number of recipes.   

What’s more, coconut in any form is an excellent pairing with different spices because its sweet profile makes it conducive to blending with spicier ingredients that mix beautifully into the fruit’s creaminess. Numerous spices can thus be brought together with coconuts to prepare sweet and savoury dishes and cocktail and mocktail preparations infused with this complex flavour combination.  

Read on below to know more about some coconut and spice pairings and how they can be brought together to prepare varied drinks and dishes: 

Coconut Milk And Curry Spices (Turmeric, Coriander, Bay Leaves and more)  

Coconut milk has a smooth, creamy and rich consistency. It is not only incorporated into the making of different sweet drinks and mocktails but is also utilised widely across different tropical regions to make spicy curries, stews and soups. And the spicy and earthy flavours so integral to these coconut based dishes come from ingredients like turmeric, bay leaves, coriander and cloves which are added to a tempering of oil and mustard seeds to prepare creamy Thai curries, massaman curries, Malaysian laksas and coconut chutneys. 

Coconut Oil And Garlic  

One of the best coconut and spice pairings is achieved by tossing garlic in coconut oil. While coconut oil is often used for making rice and curries in many tropical regions, it is also used as the base to build different masalas and pastes that add flavour into these preparations. When garlic is fried in coconut oil, it acquires a pungent and toasty touch and it absorbs the distinct taste and smell of the oil. This garlic and coconut oil mix can be finely grinded to be incorporated into chutneys, dips and masalas which are used to prepare spicy and robustly flavoured curries. 

Grated Coconut And Aromatic Spices (Cardamom, Nutmeg, Saffron and more)  

Coconut has as much a role to play in desserts and drinks as it has in savoury preparations. Freshly grated coconut can be mixed with milk and sugar to prepare porridges and sweetmeats that are infused with flavours of cardamom and nutmeg for added depth and aroma. Additionally coconut can be infused with the soft hues and fragrances of saffron for incorporating the pairing into different cocktail and mocktail blends influenced by these tropical flavour notes.  

Fresh Coconut And Chillies  

Another interesting pairing involves bringing together dried or fresh coconut with chilli peppers. These can be red or green depending upon the curry or chutney being prepared. Adding chillies to coconuts before roasting, frying or blending them imbues a combination of creamy, spicy and umami flavours into dishes such as a Caribbean curry or a classic southern Indian green chutney or even a coconut and chilli infused lentil curry or soup. 

Coconut And Allspice  

Allspice is a very complex ingredient. It has a potent, spicy aroma and an earthy flavour which makes it an interesting addition into drinks and culinary preparations alike. An ingredient which goes well with allspice is coconut. Freshly grated coconut can be tossed in allspice to make a fragrant coconut rice and succulent meat curry. This combination can also be put to use to prepare desserts like spiced coconut ice cream and cocktails like a spicy coconut rum punch infused with allspice and cloves.