Creamy, fragrant coconut rice, cooked in a saucepan on the stovetop. This rice is a luxuriously comforting side dish that works so well with curries and stir-fries.
This is an alternative version to my Rice Cooker Coconut Rice, for if you don’t have access to a rice cooker. Still super simple and super delicious!
The addition of the tinned coconut milk to the rice results in beautiful aromatic, creamy-tasting rice.
The oils in the coconut milk help to ensure the grains remain separate – rather than clumping together.
📋 Ingredients
Jasmine Rice – We use Jasmine Rice for this recipe. It’s slightly fragrant (almost a little floral-smelling), and slightly sweet and the flavour pairs perfectly with coconut.
Coconut Milk – Use full-fat coconut milk for this recipe because it gets watered down later and we don’t want to lose any of that rich, sweet coconut flavour.
How to make it:
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- First, rinse and drain your rice under cold water until the water runs almost clear.
- Then, add all the ingredients to a pan, give it one quick stir and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Place a lid over the pan, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Turn the heat completely off and let it steam for 5 more minutes, before giving it one last mix, and you’re ready to serve! Top with toasted shredded coconut.
Pro Tip
You can make your own toasted shredded coconut by cooking store-bought unsweetened shredded coconut in a hot dry frying pan (skillet), on a medium-low heat for a few minutes (stirring often) until golden brown.
The sweet, creamy flavours of the rice particularly complement spicy curries and also fresh fruity flavours (such as pineapple chicken or steak poke bowls)
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Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
- This recipe goes hand-in-hand with my Chicken Meatball Curry, there’s no denying they’re the perfect pair. Or how about….
- Thai Red Chicken Curry
- Thai Style Peanut Pork
- Easy Chicken Curry
This is such a great side dish and adds a lovely extra touch in place of regular rice.
🍲 More fantastic side dishes
Yes! It’s a little less creamy upon reheating, but still tastes great.
Cook the rice, then spread it out in a large dish (so it will cool quickly) cover and freeze or refrigerate.
Don’t leave cooked rice out at room temperature. Bacteria can grow on cooked rice very quickly, so it’s important to:
– Refrigerate it as quickly as possible
– Don’t store for more than 24 hours in the fridge, and
– Thoroughly reheat it.
If you want to freeze it:
– Freeze it as quickly as possible
– Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (and don’t store for more than 24 hours)
To reheat:
Place the rice in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 tsp water per portion (helps to steam the rice, so it’s fluffy, not dry), place a microwave safe plate on top and microwave on high for 30-seconds. Stir, then repeat, heating in 30 second increments, then stirring, until piping hot throughout. It should take no more than 2 minutes per portion.
*Note* don’t reheat the rice more than once.
You can make this recipe in smaller batches if you prefer. To scale down, halve the recipe ( make sure you are sticking to the same ingredient ratios), but cook for the same amount of time.
I have a separate recipe here for Rice Cooker Coconut Rice.
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Coconut Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g (2 1/2 cups) jasmine rice
- 400 ml (14 oz) tin full fat coconut milk
- 400 ml (14 floz) water
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
To Serve:
- toasted shredded coconut see tip
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a sieve 3-4 times, until the water runs almost clear.500 g (2 1/2 cups) jasmine rice
- Add the drained rice to a medium-sized saucepan and pour over the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt.400 ml (14 oz) tin full fat coconut milk, 400 ml (14 floz) water, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt
- Stir once (don’t stir again after this), then bring to the boil.
- Turn the heat down to very low, place a lid on the pan and let it simmer very gently for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let it steam for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and give the rice a gentle stir. There may be some coconut cream that has settled on top of the rice – just stir it back in (those are the extra creamy bits).
- Serve topped with shredded toasted coconut.toasted shredded coconut
Notes
Why rinse the rice?
This removes some of the starch. The excess starch in the rice causes the rice to be a little stickier and clumpier. I don’t usually rinse my rice if I’m cooking regular rice in a pan (I like a little bit of clumpiness), but the addition of coconut milk in this recipe makes the rice a little more sticky. So it’s best to rinse the rice so it’s not overly sticky.Can I make it in the rice cooker instead?
I have a separate recipe here for Rice Cooker Coconut Rice.Nutritional information is approximate, per person (this recipes serves 8)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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