How to add fizz to tender coconut water
Summary
Fermented coconut water acts like a health tonic because it's rich in probiotics. Here are two recipes to use it for gut-friendly, cooling summer drinks
Kaunsa chahiye—pani wala ya malai wala (Which do you want—just water or water as well as coconut flesh)?"
As a child, this question from the neighbourhood tender coconut vendor always left me puzzled. How did they know what was inside—just water or water with malai? And if there was malai, would it be delicate, jiggly pudding-like or the thicker, almost mature coconut flesh?
They had their ways, of course. A swift slice of the outer husk turned into a biodegradable scoop and you could sit on a makeshift bench, leisurely scraping out the malai, rehydrating yourself while getting a dose of healthy fats.
A few months ago, after a long sun-soaked walk in Goa, I stopped for a tender coconut. ₹90 for a small one came as a shocker. When I asked if these were grown locally, the vendor said Goa’s coconuts are mostly used for oil extraction, so the tender coconuts come from Karnataka, making them expensive.
I was six when my aunt went to Bordi, a coastal village in Palghar in Maharashtra, for a bank training programme. She sent me a postcard with a drawing of a coconut tree bending cinematically into the waters. In her note, she wrote that the tender coconuts were massive and cost only 50 paise.
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I’m amused at how, despite my hazy childhood memories, I recalled the price of nariyal paani from over four decades ago and shared that with my son. Am I turning into my grandparents, who often reminisced, “Enga kaalathula idhu 10 paisa dhaan (Back in our days, this used to cost just 10 paise)."
Curious to know if the Goan vendor’s claim held water, I looked into it. Turns out he was right. Some of the reasons for the increasing prices of this staple drink across India are declining coconut cultivation and the higher demand for mature coconuts.
With the edible oil industry booming, more coconuts are diverted for oil extraction rather than being sold as tender coconut water.
Coconut trees need a stable tropical climate, but erratic rainfall, droughts and extreme heatwaves in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have reduced yield and pushed up prices.
Cities need to get their supplies via road and rising fuel and logistics costs have added to the price. Labour shortages are another hidden factor. Climbing coconut trees is a skilled job and the number of trained climbers has dwindled over the years.
Twitter—sorry, X—has always been a treasure trove of conversations and opinions. This week, there was further talk about how the “tender coconut mafia" (sic) has fixed prices in Bengaluru at ₹60 and there’s hardly 200ml of liquid. To this, Bengaluru-based cardiologist Deepak Krishnamurthy responded that it is an overrated drink. “If you have a coconut tree at home or farm, drink it. Otherwise, there is no need to buy and drink. Drink water."
So, is tender coconut water just expensive water with good PR? Or is there genuine merit to its benefits?
Coconut water’s reputation as a “natural sports drink" comes from its potassium content. A 200ml serving can have around 300mg of potassium, which is great if you’ve sweated buckets in the sun, but not exactly an elixir of life.
It’s also naturally low in sodium, which makes it less effective for rapid rehydration in extreme conditions (hence why serious athletes turn to ORS or sports drinks with added sodium).
Compared to colas or other high-sugar fruit juices, it does fare better, with lower sugar content and calories.
I’m thankful to home-delivered tender coconuts when I was down with dengue fever last year. They helped me make up the 3 litres of liquid my doctor had asked me to consume each day. But on a regular basis, I would rather put coconut water to use in my fermentation experiments.
I’m sharing two such fermented probiotic-rich drinks with you in the recipes below.
CHILLI-GINGER COCONUT PROBIOTIC
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
500ml fresh tender coconut water
1 slit green chili (use a mild variety)
2-3 thin slices of fresh ginger
1-2 tsp lime juice (optional)
Method
Pour the coconut water into a clean glass jar. Add the slit green chilli and ginger slices. Cover loosely with a breathable cloth and secure with a rubber band or twine. Leave at room temperature for 24-48 hours in a warm spot.
Once it turns slightly tangy, lightly fizzy, and has a mild kick, strain and refrigerate. Drink it chilled.
HOMEMADE COCONUT WATER FRUIT SODA
(A fermented drink great for gut health)
Makes 1 litre
Ingredients
1 litre fresh coconut water (from a coconut, not bottle)
Quarter cup fresh whey from yogurt (tie yogurt in a cloth and collect the water)
1 tbsp sugar, honey or jaggery (optional, speeds up fermentation)
Half-cup fruit puree (pineapple / mango)
Method
Pour the coconut water into a clean glass jar. Stir in whey to introduce beneficial bacteria. Add sugar or jaggery. Cover the jar with a cloth or loose lid and leave at room temperature (24-30 degrees Celsius).
Stir once or twice a day. It should become slightly fizzy and tangy in 24-48 hours. Strain the fermented coconut water into a clean bottle. Add the fruit puree and mix well.
Seal the bottle tightly and let it sit at room temperature for 2-3 days to carbonate. Once fizzy, transfer to the fridge for slow fermentation. Open carefully (it may be very fizzy). Pour over ice and enjoy your natural coconut probiotic soda.
Note: You can also use 3 tbsp unflavoured kombucha instead of whey to kickstart fermentation.
Double Tested is a fortnightly column on vegetarian cooking, highlighting a single ingredient prepared two ways.
Nandita Iyer’s latest book is The Great Indian Thali—Seasonal Vegetarian Wholesomeness. She posts @saffrontrail on Instagram and X.
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