Have you ever found yourself wondering what to cook for Easter? That’s exactly what happened to us last Easter Sunday. Normally, we stick to the usual meals like jollof rice, fried rice, or white rice with stew. But this time, we wanted to cook something different. That simple choice ended up being the most fun thing we did that day! We even turned the leftover coconut milk into homemade coconut oil. Let me take you through how it all started.
How It All Started
After church that Easter morning, we came back home feeling tired and very hungry. Some of us didn’t eat breakfast so we wouldn’t be late, so we quickly made swallow for lunch since it was the fastest option. By evening, we were ready to cook something more exciting for dinner. We wanted to start early so we could finish on time and still watch some movies. That was when I saw the coconuts in the kitchen, and I immediately thought of making coconut rice.
What’s special about coconut rice? You might wonder, especially since a lot of people cook it often. But in our home, coconut rice is a rare treat. We don’t make it all the time because it takes extra work like breaking the shells, removing them, blending the coconut, and getting the milk out. While some people use store-bought coconut milk, we love using fresh coconuts to extract the milk ourselves. Not cooking it often made it special for us.
First, we broke the coconuts and drank the water…it was so fresh and sweet! Removing the hard shell was a bit of a struggle but later, we found an easier way to do it (don’t worry, I’ll share that trick in another post soon).
Next, we blended the coconut and sieved out the milk. The smell alone was amazing! At the same time, we seasoned some chicken and air-fried it to go with the rice. By then, the whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of a well-spiced chicken.
Now, let’s fast forward to how the coconut oil came about.
How Coconut Oil Happened
After using most of the coconut milk for the rice, we had a small amount left. Then I suddenly remembered a video I once watched about how to make coconut oil at home. I thought, “Why not try it?” So, we poured the leftover coconut milk into a bowl and kept it in the fridge overnight, hoping it would separate into layers like the video showed. But guess what? Nothing happened.
So, we moved it to the freezer instead. The next day, it was frozen. Honestly, I felt like giving up at that point, but something told us to keep trying. LOL. We took the frozen milk, placed it in a pot, and heated it slowly on low heat. As it warmed up, the water started to dry out. And then “surprise!” oil began to appear on top. I was so excited.
I quickly sieved out the oil, and just like that, we made coconut oil. It smelled so fresh and natural, better than the ones you find in stores. It felt like a big win!
Was the idea worth It? Yes!
The coconut rice came out rich, and full of coconut flavor. The chicken was well-seasoned. And to crown it all, we had a small bottle of freshly made coconut oil to keep. It took time, but it was 100% worth it. It made everything interesting.
Want to Try It? Here’s My Simple Coconut Rice Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of uncooked rice (adjust to your family size)
- 2 large fresh coconuts (for milk)
- 2 medium onions (chopped)
- Chicken or any protein of your choice
- Crushed garlic and ginger
- All-purpose seasoning / paprika
- 1 cooking spoon of vegetable oil
- 2 medium tomatoes (optional)
- 3 large tatashe
- 4 scotch bonnets
- Seasoning cubes
- Salt to taste
Simple Steps:
- Heat oil in a pot. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the blended pepper mix. Stir and season.
- Let it simmer a bit.
- Add the rice and stir.
- Pour in the coconut milk and mix well. Adjust taste.
- Cover the pot and cook on low heat until the rice is cooked.
- Enjoy your meal
Note: For a plain coconut rice, simply omit the tomatoes and peppers and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
So, that’s the end of our Easter cooking story! From making coconut rice (which we absolutely loved) to turning coconut milk into fresh oil, it was a fun experience. If you haven’t tried making your own coconut oil yet give it a go, it’s totally worth the effort.
Have you ever made coconut rice or tried making your own oil at home? I’d love to hear how it went. Share your story in the comments.
FOR OUR PREVIOUS POSTS;
We can say the oil was inspired by what was used to anoint Jesus’ body.
Oh wow! Smart thought..I love it
I am making my coconut rice and oil soon