From Desiccated Coconut

350 g (12 oz) desiccated coconut is the equivalent of one fresh nut. Put it into a pan and pour over it about 150 ml (¼ pint) of water. Heat it gently until the water just starts to bubble (if it actually boils for a short time, this does no harm). Pour this into a liquidizer and add enough cold water to make the amount of santen you require. Run the liquidizer for 20 or 30 seconds, then sieve the resulting mush, forcing it through the sieve with your hand and squeezing the coconut flakes as dry as you can. If the recipe calls for thick santen, the ‘first extraction’ is sufficient. If you need thin santen, put the coconut back into the liquidizer, add more cold water and repeat the process. If you have no liquidizer, you can still squeeze and sieve the coconut and water, several times over if necessary, until you have the consistency and quantity you require.