Thai Coconut Dishes Guide

Coconut is one of the most important ingredients in Thai cuisine. From savory curries to sweet desserts, coconut appears in countless Thai dishes.

Coconut Milk vs Coconut Cream

In Thai cooking, coconut milk (กะทิ / kathi) is made by grating mature coconut flesh and mixing with water. The first pressing yields thick coconut cream (หัวกะทิ / hua kathi), used for rich curries. Subsequent pressings produce thin coconut milk (หางกะทิ / hang kathi), used for soups.

Best Thai Coconut Dishes

• Tom Kha Gai — coconut chicken soup
• Green Curry — coconut milk based curry
• Massaman Curry — rich coconut curry
• Mango Sticky Rice — coconut milk soaked rice
• Pumpkin Coconut Dessert — baked coconut custard