Coconut emblem and coat of arms. Coconut trees are grown on all the islands. Before modern construction methods were introduced, coconut leaves were used as roofing material for many houses in the islands, while coconut timber was used to build houses and boats. The main coconut-producing area in the Middle East is the Dhofar region of Oman, but they can be grown all along the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea coasts, because these seas are tropical and provide enough humidity (through seawater evaporation) for coconut trees to grow. The young coconut plants need to be nursed and irrigated with
Coconut and coconut milk are used, especially in Vietnam's southern style of cooking, including "kho", "chè", and curry ("cà ri"). In southern India, the most common way of cooking vegetables is to add grated coconut and then steam them with spices fried in oil. People from southern India also make chutney, which involves grinding the coconut with salt, chillies, and whole spices. "Uruttu chammanthi" (granulated chutney) is eaten with rice or "kanji" (rice gruel). It is also a main side dish served with "idli, vadai", and "dosai". Coconut ground with spices is mixed in "sambar" and other various lunch dishes for