Coconut is a huge part of African and Caribbean cooking. But we take most recipes over the top with fresh, mature coconuts. There might be a couple of standout brands for store-bought coconut milk, but nothing beats freshly squeezed coconut milk. The aromatic, naturally sweet, and delightfully nutty flavor is a far cry from its canned counterparts. I take a shortcut using a high-power blender to grate the coconut. That saves me time, energy, and, most of all, my precious fingers. 😉 Besides, simple, savory coconut rice is an ideal base for other savory and sweet main dishes.
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Coconut Rice
How to Make Fresh Coconut Milk
Crack Coconut – After getting the coconut water out, hit the middle of a coconut hard with the blunt side of a cleaver or hammer, just enough to crack it. Rotate the coconut, continuing to hit it at the center with the hammer or cleaver until it splits in two. (Photos 1-2) Extract Coconut Meat – Bake it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 375℉ (190℃) to make removing the flesh from the shell easier. Let it cool, then remove the coconut from the shell with a spoon. (Photo 3) Coconut Milk – Blend coconut in a blender (Blendtec or Vitamix gets the most milk out of a coconut) on high until it reaches a fine puree. Strain the coconut mixture with cheesecloth. Squeeze tightly to extract all the milk. (Photos 4-5)
Making the Rice
Rice – Place rice in a saucepan with water. Rinse well and strain. (Photo 6) Cook – Add coconut milk, water, and salt. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir, lower the heat to a simmer, and then cover the saucepan tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 15-18 minutes. (Photo 17 Serve – Take the saucepan off the heat and let it rest for about 10 minutes, covered. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve. (Photo 8)
Variation Ideas
Recipe Notes
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
For easy weekly meal prep, make a double or triple batch. Let the coconut rice cool and store it in meal-size portions in a freezer ziplock bag. Refrigerate it for 3-4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months for a stress-free side dish anytime. Heat the rice on the stovetop over medium, adding a splash of water if necessary so it doesn’t dry out. Or zap individual portions in the microwave.
What to Serve With Coconut Rice
It’s perfect with any Asian-style main dish! Some delicious choices include chicken stew, Asian cashew chicken, and teriyaki shrimp. An easy mango salad provides a burst of color and freshness.
More Uniquely Savory Rice Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[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 originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
