Coconut Rice Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Flavorful Coconut Rice

Coconut rice is rice soaked or cooked (or both) in coconut rice or coconut milk. It’s a popular dish in Asian cuisines, such as Thai, Indonesian, and Malaysian, as well as in Hawaiian cuisine. Cooks typically use a long-grain white rice, like jasmine rice or basmati rice, to achieve the classic flavor and fluffy texture of coconut rice. Brown rice will also work, but it isn’t a traditional option.

Coconut rice differs from other classic rice dishes like risotto and sticky rice in terms of texture. Risotto is thick and creamy, and sticky rice is gummy due to the release of excess starch during the cooking processes for both dishes. In contrast, you don’t want excess starch to develop when you’re making coconut rice.

Below are the best tips for making the most flavorful coconut rice:

1. 1. Boost the coconut flavor. Aside from coconut milk and coconut water, you can also add coconut flakes toasted in coconut oil for a boost in flavor. If you’re making a sweet dish like coconut rice pudding, you can add in coconut sugar.
2. 2. Use full-fat coconut milk. Coconut cream and full-fat coconut milk will have the most coconut flavor, but you can also use light coconut milk or even coconut water. Most coconut rice recipes recommend unsweetened coconut milk.
3. 3. Rinse your rice. Place your long-grain rice of choice into a fine-mesh strainer and continuously run cold water through it until the water comes out clear. Rinsing the rice removes excess starch from the surface of the rice. You could end up with gummy rice if you skip this step.

Here are some traditional ways to serve coconut rice.

• As a dessert: Serve coconut rice alongside tropical fruit like mango, pineapple, or starfruit for a sweet dessert. You can leave the rice unsweetened if you like, but adding sweeteners like coconut sugar or condensed milk will help you achieve the flavor profile of traditional Thai sticky rice.
• On the side: If you’re serving coconut rice as a side dish, you can garnish it with fresh herbs, like cilantro, or toasted coconut flakes. You can also mimic the flavors in your main dish. For example, if you’re serving the rice with jerk chicken, squeeze lime juice on the rice to bring out the jerk flavor. Lime juice can also help cool down your mouth when eating spicy food.
• With sauce-heavy dishes: In Thai, Indian, and other Asian dishes rice is the first layer. Top your coconut rice with a Thai curry, tikka masala, or your favorite teriyaki stir-fry. The rice will soak up the sauce and add body to the overall dish.

The stovetop is one of two main ways to cook coconut rice. Here’s how to do it:

1. 1. Add ingredients to the pot. After you’ve rinsed the rice, add the liquid (a can of coconut milk, coconut water, or both), the rice, and the salt to your pot.
2. 2. Cook the rice for 20 minutes. Once all of the ingredients are in the pot, turn the stove up to medium-high heat or high heat and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer it for 20 minutes, covered.
3. 3. Fluff the rice. After 20 minutes, take the lid off and cook the rice for an additional five minutes. After five minutes, turn off the heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork.
4. 4. Stir in other flavorings. Gently stir in fresh herbs, lime juice, and additional salt and pepper after you have fluffed the rice.

The most important thing to keep in mind with stovetop rice is the type of pot you use. Thick-bottomed stainless steel or aluminum pots are the best options because they evenly distribute heat and prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

A countertop electrical appliance called a rice cooker is a forgiving and therefore optimal method of cooking rice, making for easy execution of coconut rice recipes. Here’s how to make coconut rice in a rice cooker:

1. 1. Add the base ingredients. Add the rinsed rice, coconut milk, coconut water, and salt to the rice cooker. Make sure your rice cooker is off for this step.
2. 2. Choose the right setting. Settings may vary based on the type of rice cooker you have, but set your cooker to either “cook” or press the “white rice” button. A rice cooker has a temperature sensor monitoring the temperature of the bowl inside. Once it reaches a certain temperature, the rice cooker will shut off and switch to a warming function. Two cups of rice will take about 20–25 minutes to cook.
3. 3. Steam and fluff the rice. Once the rice cooker switches to a warming function, leave the rice covered and let the rice continue to steam for about eight minutes. Then, take the lid off and fluff the rice with a fork.
4. 4. Stir in your flavorings. If you’re adding fresh herbs, citrus juice, or any veggies to your rice, do so after you fluff the rice. Stir it all together gently.