Coconut Rice Recipe With Desiccated Coconut

It’s no secret that we’ve got a thing for curries, soups, bowls, and beyond! So it was only a matter of time before we shared a recipe for their perfect sidekick: coconut rice!

Coconut rice is enjoyed in many regions around the world, especially in tropical areas where coconuts are grown. Some versions are more savory, while others are more sweet.

While we don’t claim to be experts on the different variations, our version seems to most closely resemble the flavors and ingredients of Thai coconut rice, but with our own twist!

Burmese Breakfast Coconut Sticky Rice Recipe By Vegan In Styles

It’s the perfect side dish when you want something easy but a little more special than plain rice. And it pairs especially well alongside other Thai-inspired recipes.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo#on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

How to make PERFECT coconut rice every time! A quick and easy, versatile side dish for curries, soups, bowls, and beyond! Just 3 ingredients and 1 pot required.

Kutsinta Recipe With Desiccated Coconut

*Brown rice results in a less fluffy, slightly nutty result. It’s still delicious but isn’t classic. *Find our Instant Pot version here. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with unfortified rice and without optional ingredients. *We enjoyed the taste without sweetener but think most people would prefer it. *We tried maple syrup but felt the flavors were not complementary — not sweet enough at a small amount, and when enough was added to achieve the right sweetness, it tasted like a dessert, not a savory dish.

Serving: 1 (half-cup serving) Calories: 194 Carbohydrates: 36.4 g Protein: 3 g Fat: 4.3 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 150 mg Potassium: 0 mg Fiber: 1 g Sugar: 0 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 0.33 mg Iron: 0.36 mgFluffy coconut rice eluded me for years. And finally, I’ve cracked it! The trick is to use the oven rather than the stove. The coconut rice comes out super fluffy, not gluey and mushy. It’s just like you get at restaurants.

Truly fluffy coconut rice eluded me for years. I felt like I tried every variation possible, but when I lifted the lid, I’d stare at dismay at into a pot of mushy rice, thick with coconut milk scum. Usually with unevenly cooked rice grains – some hard, some overly soft – and almost always with a scorched base.

Fluffy Coconut Rice

The making of my cookbook gave me the excuse I needed to commit to cracking coconut rice, once and for all. 30+ tests later, I’m so happy to say my team and I have cracked the secret code.

The trick to fuss-free fluffy coconut rice is to bake it rather than cook it on the stove. The coconut rice comes out perfectly fluffy every time, and no scorched pot!

It’s a lot of words. But don’t worry, actually cooking it is super duper simple. Just pop it in the oven and leave it to do its thing!

Recipes Using Desiccated Coconut

I find it easiest to rinse rice in a bowl. Just pour the rice in a bowl and fill with water, then swish it around. Drain (just pour the water out best you can, no need to use a colander), then fill with water again and repeat 4 to 5 times until the water is pretty clear.

BONUS coconut milk powder option: There’s another way to make fluffy coconut rice on the stove using coconut milk powder. The result is not quite as fluffy as using the oven and the coconut flavour is not quite as intense. But it’s still very good, much better than stove-top using coconut milk, and a good option for those times when you don’t have an oven.

I’ve popped that extra recipe below the coconut milk recipe (ie scroll to bottom of post). It’s an extra because coconut milk powder isn’t as common as coconut milk. While I always have coconut milk on hand, I don’t usually have powder!

Perfect Coconut Rice (with A Secret Ingredient!)

To get a trueAsian restaurant coconut rice, the secret is to add pandan leaves. If you can’t find pandan leaves, kaffir limes leaves also add a similar fragrance.

To prepare them for use, just knot them – this breaks the leaves, releasing the flavour so it infuses into the rice.

Coconut rice is a rice dish that is used in cuisines such as Caribbean, Tropical (Hawaiian!) as well as South East Asian foods such as Thai and Malaysian foods.

Turn Desiccated Coconut Into Coconut Flour

But don’t let “rules” restrict you. Use it as you wish – and I promise you, it’s so delish, you can even eat it plain, straight out of the pot!

This is a recipe for exceptionally fluffy, coconut rice! No gluggy coconut milk scum left on the surface, each grain is clean and fluffy. The trick is to BAKE it rather than use the stove. No scorched pot, and the rice grains are evenly cooked!

Make it Asian-restaurant style by adding pandan leaves OR kaffir lime leaves. Or finish with a sprinkle of toasted coconuts. Serve with: tropical, Caribbean, Indian and Asian foods.

Coconut Milk Rice Recipe

This rice is best made with jasmine rice. For long grain, basmati, medium and short grain rice, add an extra 1/4 cup of water. This recipe is not suitable for risotto or paella rice, or brown rice.

2. Coconut milk – Please use full fat coconut milk so this actually tastes of coconut! The higher then coconut % (check ingredients) the better the coconut flavour. I use Ayam (89%, this is high). Cheap brands can be as low as 30% (the rest is water!).

3. Sugar – some restaurants make the coconut rice a touch sweet with the addition of sugar. Also, higher quality coconut milk is sweeter and richer than cheaper ones. So this is optional. It doesn’t make the rice super sweet, it just adds a subtle touch of sweetness. I almost always include it.

Rice Cooker Coconut Rice

This is the coconut rice version made with Coconut POWDER. It used to be my go-to method for fluffy coconut rice until I cracked the baked version which is fluffier! However, although it is marginally less fluffy, it is faster to make – no need to rinse or soak the rice like the baked version above.

This recipe works because coconut milk powder is in powder form and has less fat than coconut milk, so the rice absorbs the liquid more evenly whilst still having that lovely coconut flavour. This rice goes very well with most South East Asian dishes (in particular Thai and Malaysian) as well as tropical dishes (Hawaiian, Caribbean, Jamaican).

1. Rice – This rice is best made with jasmine or long grain rice. Medium and short grain rice are too sticky which is made even stickier by cooking it in coconut. Basmati is also a good substitute. This recipe is not suitable for risotto or paella rice. It will also work with brown rice.

Easy Coconut Rice Recipe Made In A Rice Cooker Recipe

No need to rinse or soak rice when using this coconut powder method (with coconut milk – see recipe above – rinsing and soaking is necessary for fluffy rice).

2. Coconut milk powder is available in the Asian section or next to canned coconut milk in the canned vegetables of supermarkets. They typically come in packs of 3 sachets which are 50g / 1.75 oz each. In Australia, a box of 3 sachets costs $3.

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Indian Coconut Rice