If you haven’t had coconut rice you will go crazy for this. Best part is it’s just like making regular rice with an added pantry ingredient. I love rice, but it can get boring. It deserves to stand out on your plate and this colorful sweet rice does the trick!
This dish is inspired by an amazing (succulent pork galore) restaurant called Pig and Khao in NYC’s lower east side – the Mecca of trendy and yummy food in the city. They have coconut rice on the menu and the first time we went they suggested we give it a try. With images of boring rice in our heads we reluctantly ordered it … OMG it was love at first bite! I went home and started creating my own version.
Island Coconut Rice Recipe
Serves 4 to 6 (as a side dish)
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried white basmati rice
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 big pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 garlic clove smashed lightly by hand
- 1 handful chopped fresh mint (or parsley)
- 1 handful sliced almonds (or hazelnuts)
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water and big three-finger pinch of salt and stir. Add sugar, garlic clove and stir.
- Bring rice to a boil on high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Uncover, turn off heat, add the fresh mint, sliced almonds and fluff it up with a fork as you mix.
- Plate it with your favorite main dish or eat it all by itself yum! Enjoy!
NYC Restaurant Recommendation
My favorite place to get coconut rice is at Pig and Khao. They also have an amazing sizzling pork dish.
Just wait until you take one bite and the subtle sweet flavor will seriously rock your world – a Chop Happy guarantee! Give it a try and share pictures of your tasty creation 🙂
With a grateful heart and an amazing tummy – Jay
Thought it wonlud’t to give it a shot. I was right.
LOVE Coconut rice! I first had it years ago in Colombia, pre-internet. My sister and I were desperate to figure out how to make it. When I finally found a recipe, it called for Coco Lopez – NO-OOO! I took my first taste of it and spit it in the sink – horrible! Coco Lopez is for Pina Coladas. Unsweetened Coconut milk is for coconut rice. Top this with with Cod or another white fish with a Soy Lime Ginger Sauce and you can die and go to Heaven…or just look forward to sharing and making it again!
Trudy lol! I felt the same way after my first bite at the place I mention above. OMG I went home and worked on this recipe. There are so many ways to do this but I wanted it to be as close as the one I first eat. Pina Colada tasting rice does not sound good but now I want a real Pina colada lol. Thanks for the comment and were do I find the recipe for the Soy Ginger Sauce? I want to try it :-). Happy Eating.