We love coconuts in India

Coconut harvest being cleaned in our home @ Castle Street! Many decades ago I ordered two saplings, from a good friend who owned Deejays. A chicken hatchery which had branched out into speciality coconut saplings on their farm in Madurai.So two saplings were sent to our home on Castle Street and I paid the princely sum of Rs 10 per sapling. Then along with my two older sons, we planted them in the tiny patch of land we had behind the house. Between us we dug the three feet deep holes and after collecting two sacks of compost from my Dads home on Hayes Road, we put the saplings down. It was the boys job to water them, every single day after school. The saplings grew and prospered and in a years time threw sprays of flowers that turned into coconuts. We were thrilled to see the plants grow so well and in a few years we were harvesting our own, special breed fruit.

Delicious in everything from sweets to curries. The coconut tree is a member of the palm tree family and the only known living species of the genus Cocos. The term "coconut" can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which botanically is a drupe, not a nut. Botanically speaking, a coconut is a fibrous one-seeded drupe, also known as a dry drupe. However, when using loose definitions, the coconut can be all three: a fruit, a nut, and a seed, says Wiki. So what does the meat of the coconut contain? Here are some interesting facts” Energy: 354 Calories (per 100 g) Protein: 3.33 g (per 100 g) Fat: 33.49 g (per 100 g) Potassium: 356 mg (per 100 g) Scientific name: Cocos nucifera It was only when the "coco" came to England, the suffix of nut was added and that's how the name came about.

Coconut harvest in our home on Castle Street! The quantity of nuts that were harvested by us twice a year was mind boggling and besides gifting them to friends and neighbours, we sold them to Fatima. The bakery outlet who grabbed all the nuts he could get, as he swore they made the most delicious coconut sweet.Now even the Catholic Club wants to buy them all because they are organic and excellent quality for their curries and chutnies. Typically the green outer husk coconuts with a gelatinous inner meat, the water of the young coconut is especially prized. Fresh coconut meat is also said to have healing properties because it is high in antioxidants. Also, the fat in coconuts is medium-chain fatty acids that are better absorbed than animal saturated fat and is said to have anti-inflammatory effects. Fresh coconut meat is definitely a great superfood to add to your diet!

Try fresh coconut milk with green masala! My mother's favourite. It's one of those foods that's so often demonized by calorie and fat counters for it's saturated fat content. But, a growing body of evidence indicates that coconuts may actually help with weight loss. Thats great news as I am a big fan of coconut.

A heap of nuts that brings so much joy to chefs! It is also safe if eaten in food in regular amounts. But apparently, coconut oil contains a type of fat that can increase cholesterol levels. So people should avoid eating coconut oil in excess. Taking coconut oil in doses of 10 mL two or three times daily for up to 12 weeks seems to be safe.Something I stopped after the second dose, but I was advised by the Deejay owner himself, that coconut oil is good for diabetics. I would rather exercise than swallow oil. AND the nicest part of a large harvest is I can give friends and neighbours the excess and watch them smile in thanks from ear to ear!