Cooking Basics: Coconut Rice

May 18, 2012

Rice is a staple in numerous countries around the world. Coconut rice is common in Asian countries and can be eaten as a sweet side dish to something spicy or combined with fruit to make a dessert. For this recipe, a fragrant long grain rice like Basmati or Jasmine is best because the floral notes pair lovely with the coconut. The rice is cooked with a combination of coconut milk and water which gives the rice a rich chewy texture. If you are going the sweet route, mix the rice with dried fruit, toasted coconut, and slices of fresh mangoes.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup water

2 cups coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 2/3 cups jasmine rice

Directions:

Place the water, coconut milk, salt and sugar in a heavy pan. .

Add the rice to the pan, cover tightly with a lid and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, without lifting the lid for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender and cooked through.

Turn off the heat and leave the rice to rest in the pan, still covered with the lid, for an additional 5-10 minutes.