CHEAP COOKING OIL

All parts of the coconut palm are useful, and the trees have a comparatively high yield (up to 75 fruits per year); it therefore has significant economic value. Uses of the various parts of the palm include:
• The white, fleshy part of the seed is edible and used fresh or dried in cooking.
• The cavity is filled with "coconut water” containing sugars, fibre, proteins, anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals, which provide excellent isotonic electrolyte balance, Coconut water can be used as an intravenous fluid
• Coconut milk is made by processing grated coconut with hot water or hot milk which extracts the oil and aromatic compounds from the fibre, and should not be confused with the juice found naturally in young coconuts, called coconut water or coconut juice.
• Coconut cream is what rises to the top when coconut milk is refrigerated and left to set.
• The leftover fibre from coconut milk production is used as livestock feed.
• The sap derived from incising the flower clusters of the coconut is fermented to produce palm wine, also known as "toddy" or, in the Philippines, tuba.
• The interior of the growing tip may be harvested as heart-of-palm and is considered a rare delicacy. Harvesting this also kills the tree. Hearts of palm are often eaten in salads; such a salad is sometimes called "millionaire's salad".
• The coir (the fibre from the husk of the coconut) is used in ropes, mats, brushes, caulking boats and as stuffing fibre; it is also used extensively in horticulture for making potting compost.
• Copra is the dried meat of the seed which is the source of coconut oil
• The leaves provide materials for baskets and roofing thatch.
• The husk and shells can be used for fuel and are a good source of charcoal.
• Hawaiians hollowed the trunk to form a drum, a container, or even small canoes.
• The wood can be used for specialized construction (notably in Manila's Coconut Palace).
• The stiff leaflet midribs make cooking skewers, kindling arrows, or bound into bundles, brooms and brushes.
• The roots are used as a dye, a mouthwash, or a medicine for dysentery. A frayed-out piece of root makes a poor man's toothbrush.
• Half coconut shells are used in theatre, banged together to create the sound effect of a horse's hoofbeats.
• Dried half coconut shells are used to buff floors.
• A coconut can be hollowed out and used as a home for a rodent or small bird.
• Fresh inner coconut husk can also be rubbed on the lens of snorkling goggles to prevent fogging during use
• Dried half coconut shells are used as the bodies of musical instruments, including the Chinese yehu and banhu, and the Vietnamese dan gao.
• Coconut is also commonly used as a herbal remedy in Pakistan to treat bites from rats.

Spicy Bean and Vegetable Coconut Curry - this was enough for 10 pancakes with a small amount of curry left over:
- 1 tbl vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced thickly
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 1 large red jalapeno chilli (or less, to taste)
- 1 heaped tablespoon of your favourite curry powder (I just bashed up some dried red chilli, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, garam masala, fenugreek seeds and salt in my mortar and pestle to my liking)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- a large pinch of dried curry leaves (10 or 12 leaves, I guess)
- 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can chopped tomatoes, drained with liquid reserved
- 1 carrot, cut into bite size pieces
- handful of green beans, cut in half
- 1 Japanese eggplant, cut into bite size pieces
- thick coconut cream (open an unshaken can of coconut cream, and just scoop out the thick top - about 1/3 cup, I'd estimate)
- salt, to taste

1) Heat oil in a pot, fry onion until light golden
2) Add garlic, mustard seeds, fresh red chilli, curry leaves and curry powder, stir over heat for a minute until fragrant.
3) Add carrot and drained tomatoes, simmer for 5 minutes. Add some of the reserved canned tomato liquid if the mixture looks a bit dry.
4) Stir in eggplant and drained kidney beans. Simmer until carrot is almost tender. Add more tomato liquid or water if the mixture looks too dry.
5) Stir in coconut cream and green beans, add salt to taste, and simmer on a very low heat until the beans are bright green but still somewhat crisp. The mixture should be fairly thick so it doesn't drip out of the pancakes.


Chickpea Pancakes - makes about 10
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup white flour
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil

1) Whisk together the flours and salt in a large bowl
2) Add oil and water, and whisk vigorously
3) Leave the mixture to rest for at least 30 minutes
4) Heat a frying pan and rub it with a paper towel soaked with vegetable oil
5) Pour in 1/3 cup of batter, swirl around pan, and cook for approximately one minute, or until bubbles form on the surface
6) Flip over and cook for approximately 30 seconds
7) Repeat process until all the batter is finished.

To serve, place curry down the centre of a pancake and roll up.