Coconut rice
Fluffy, fragrant coconut rice made on the stovetop with jasmine rice and creamy coconut milk. A simple side for curries, stir-fries and grilled fish.
14% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 5 min
- Cooking
- 20 min
- Resting
- 10 min
- Serves
- 6
- Calories
- 305
- Protein
- 5 g
- Per serving
- $0.62
Why this recipe works
Coconut rice is jasmine rice cooked in coconut milk, which makes it lightly sweet, creamy and fragrant. It's the side that turns a simple curry, teriyaki or grilled shrimp into a full meal.
- Rinsing the jasmine rice until the water runs nearly clear removes surface starch, so the grains stay separate instead of turning gluey.
- Mixing coconut milk with water, rather than using all coconut milk, gives a rich flavor without the rice turning heavy or scorching on the bottom.
- Resting the rice covered for 10 minutes off the heat lets the steam finish cooking it evenly.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- Medium saucepan with a tight lid
- Fine-mesh sieve
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Rinse the rice
Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water, swirling with your hand, until the water runs almost clear. Drain well.
Bring to a boil
Put the rice, coconut milk, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring once or twice so nothing sticks.
Simmer
Cover, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15 to 18 minutes without lifting the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.
Rest and fluff
Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and top with toasted coconut and cilantro if you like.
Techniques in this recipe
Stirred or peeked: gummy clumps Lid on, then rested: separate grains Fluffy rice, every time
Rinse long-grain rice, use the right amount of liquid, then keep the lid on and rest it off the heat. Separate, fluffy grains with no gummy layer.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- Use full-fat coconut milk; light coconut milk gives a thinner flavor.
- Coconut milk scorches more easily than water, so keep the heat at its lowest once the lid goes on.
- In a rice cooker, use the same amounts and the white rice setting.
Nutrition per serving
305 calories
$0.62 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 6% of calories | 5 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 51% of calories | 40 g |
| Fat | 43% of calories | 15 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 160 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Can I make coconut rice in a rice cooker?
Yes. Add the rinsed rice, coconut milk, water, sugar and salt, stir, and cook on the white rice setting. Let it rest 10 minutes before fluffing.
Why is my coconut rice mushy?
Usually the rice wasn't rinsed or there was too much liquid. Rinse until the water is nearly clear and measure the liquid carefully.
What goes with coconut rice?
Thai or Indian curries, teriyaki chicken, coconut curry shrimp, grilled fish, and black beans with mango salsa.
