Coconut Rice Recipe – Immaculate Bites

How to choose coconut for coconut rice

Buying fresh coconuts in the U.S. can be a challenge. Here are some tips to help you choose the freshest coconuts.

1. Double check the coconut for mold or cracks, as air and mold can quickly spoil a coconut.
2. Shake the coconut and touch it – it should be heavy. Look for the heaviest one – that means it has plenty of liquid and moisture to make more coconut milk.
3. To be on the safe side, buy more than you need. Freezing fresh coconut milk can save you a lot of time when you need to use it later.

Recipe Ingredients

1. Coconut milk It gives the rice a beautiful coconut flavor and aroma. You can also use canned full fat coconut milk or light coconut milk. I use 2 cups of coconut milk and 2 cups of water for 2 cups of rice.
2. Rice – Basmati rice will produce a soft and fluffy dish, but jasmine rice or regular white rice would also work. For a healthier option, use brown rice and extend the cooking time by 30 minutes.

How to make coconut rice

How to make fresh coconut milk

• Crack the coconut – After the coconut has been drained, take the blunt end of a knife or hammer and hit the centre of the coconut hard enough to just split it apart. Rotate the coconut and continue hitting the centre with the hammer or knife until it splits into two halves. (Photos 1-2)
• Extracting the coconut flesh – To make it easier to remove the flesh from the shell, bake in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and then use a spoon to remove the coconut from the shell. (Photo 3)
• Coconut milk – Blend the coconut in a blender (using a Blendtec or Vitamix will extract the most milk from the coconut) on high speed until it is a fine puree. Strain the coconut mixture through cheesecloth. Squeeze vigorously to extract all the milk. (Photos 4-5)

Growing rice

• Rice – Fill a pot with water and add the rice. Rinse well and strain. (Photo 6)
• Cooking – Add coconut milk, water, and salt. Place pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover pot tightly. Continue cooking for 15-18 minutes. (Photo 17
• serve – Remove the pot from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve. (Photo 8)

Variation Ideas

1. Coconut lime rice. Add some lime zest and lime juice for a refreshing citrus flavor, plus a handful of chopped coriander to complete this delicious coconut coriander lime rice.
2. Coconut curry rice. Stir the rice with 2 teaspoons of curry powder before adding the water and coconut milk.
3. Coconut Rice Pudding. Add 1½ cups of remaining coconut rice with ¼ cup sugar and 1 cup coconut milk (jasmine rice works better for this recipe). Stir and simmer until the rice breaks down and the pudding thickens. Cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins are delicious additions.
4. Garnish. Customize this dish by topping it with toasted cashews, sliced ​​almonds, toasted coconut, or finely chopped coriander.
5. Rice cookerTo make super easy coconut rice in your rice cooker, reduce the water by 1/2 to 1 cup, prepare all the ingredients, and cook as you normally would.
6. instant potTo make super fast coconut rice in your Instant Pot, prepare all your ingredients and pressure cook for 5 minutes. Manually release the pressure and let sit for 10 minutes and your rice is done in 15 minutes.

Recipe Notes

1. To easily remove the coconut meat, heat the split coconut in the oven for 15-20 minutes. This will cause the coconut meat to shrink a bit, making it easier to separate from the shell.
2. Rinse rice thoroughly in cold water before cooking to make it plump. Excess starch isn’t fatal, but it can make the rice sticky.
3. The water to rice ratio is 2 cups liquid to 1 cup rice, but you can adjust this by using a little less if you want your rice chewier, or more if you want it softer.

Advance preparation and storage methods

Make a double or triple batch for easy weekly meal prep. Allow the coconut rice to cool, then portion it into meal-sized portions and store in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months for a stress-free side dish anytime.

Heat the rice over medium heat, adding a little water if necessary to keep it from drying out, or microwave separately.

Accompaniments for coconut rice

A perfect Asian-inspired main dish! Other tasty options include: Chicken Stew, Asian Cashew Chicken, and Teriyaki shrimp. Easy mango salad It brings vibrant colour and freshness.

Other unique and flavorful rice recipes worth trying

1. Ghana Jollof Rice
2. Easy Dirty Rice
3. Cajun Rice
4. Mushroom rice

See how it’s made

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”lASbIlWB” upload-date=”2019-11-26T22:13:14.000Z” name=”Coconut Rice” description=”Coconut Rice – A simple yet flavorful rice with milk from grated coconut. So aromatic, coconutty and tasty rice. Makes a perfect pair for any dish!” ]

This blog post was published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos and videos.