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Fluffy and never mushy, this is the perfect coconut rice recipe for those who like to keep it simple with their side dishes.
Why you’ll love this coconut milk rice recipe
This classic rice recipe features aromatic basmati rice cooked in coconut milk with a small amount of sugar to enhance the subtle sweetness of the dish.
- Only 5 ingredients. You need five ingredients for this coconut rice recipe. No spices, onion, garlic, or oil are needed to make it.
- Takes 30 minutes to cook. It takes around half an hour to cook a delicious side dish that works well for both lunch and dinner.
- Perfect for meal prep. Rice can be eaten multiple times a week and with any protein of your choice. This makes rice recipes great for meal prep.
If you have tried our sweet-savory rice salad and curry fried rice and are now looking for something simpler, then this mild-flavored coconut rice is what you should try making.
Ingredients needed
- Basmati rice. Rinse the rice and soak it in cold water for 30 minutes if you have time.
- Coconut milk. Canned coconut milk is the type of milk you should use to cook rice.
- Sugar. To give the rice a mildly sweet flavor.
- Salt. A pinch of salt to balance all flavors.
- Water. As coconut milk is too thick, mixing it with water helps cook the rice grains evenly.
How to make coconut milk rice
- Make the base. Stir together the canned coconut milk and water in a saucepan and add salt and sugar. Put the pan over medium heat and mix for a minute to dissolve the sugar.
- Add rice. Add the rice and bring it to a boil. Once bubbling, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is completely absorbed.
- Rest and fluff. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes, covered, before fluffing with a fork.
Flavor variations
You can change the flavor of coconut rice by using different spice blends and ingredients. Omit the sugar when using the following savory combinations:
- Chili flakes, turmeric, and fresh ginger
- Cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and cardamom
- Garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper
- Lime zest, lime juice, and fresh cilantro
What to serve with this grain
Coconut rice is the perfect side dish for hearty curries, such as lamb vindaloo, lamb rogan josh, and shrimp curry. Vegans can pair this rice with vegetable korma, while vegetarians also have the option of serving it with paneer tikka masala.
Baked salmon, shrimp, and baked tofu go well too.
Storage instructions
To store. Store leftover coconut rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat. The easiest and best way to reheat leftover rice is in the microwave. Transfer the rice into a microwave-safe bowl, cover it with food wrap, and reheat at 20-second intervals until the rice is heated through. You can also reheat leftover rice on the stove over low heat by adding a splash of water to it.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
- Saucepan. A durable and slightly larger saucepan to cook the rice perfectly.
- Spatula. Always stir the rice with a spatula- no forks or spoons!
Recipe tips and tricks
- Use canned coconut milk. Canned coconut milk is richer and creamer than fresh or carton milk. Also, avoid using low-fat or fat-reduced milk for the best flavor.
- Rinse the rice lightly. Avoid over-rinsing the rice, as this can yield gluey and thick rice. A simple rinse is fine.
- Do not stir. As tempting as it may be, do not stir the rice throughout the cooking process. When made correctly, no rice will stick to the pan’s bottom.
- Let it rest. The secret trick to perfectly fluffy rice is not to remove the lid once removed from the heat. Keep the lid on for 10 minutes, then fluff the rice.
Coconut Milk Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice white or brown
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Lightly rinse the rice.
- In a saucepan, add the coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt, and give it a stir. Add the rice.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Once bubbles start to appear around the sides, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Let everything simmer for 15 minutes.
- Take the saucepan off the heat. Let it sit for 10 minutes before fluffing the rice with a fork.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
While coconut rice contains more calories than white rice, it has more vitamins and a lower glycemic index. The latter means that it is digested slower and doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes.
Coconut rice only has a mild coconut flavor coming from coconut milk.
You can use brown basmati rice, as well as brown or white jasmine rice for this recipe. Make sure you adjust the amount of coconut milk and water when using brown rice as it does absorb more liquid than white rice.
More grains to try
Rice and Grains
How To Cook Couscous
Instant pot recipes
Instant Pot Sushi Rice
Healthy Salads
Orzo Salad
Healthy Salads
This is a must for me thank you.
Awesome rice. Thx. Since I made it with brown basmati and in a rice cooker, I added an extra cup of water so it’s fully cooked. Yum
Oh fantastic- Glad you enjoyed it, Terry!
as much as I *LOVE* NYC – I do, I really REALLY do – I do not ever wish to be there for NYE. massive crowds concentrated in one place, not moving, in the cold, have never been my thing. ha!
coconut rice is best. I sometimes cook quinoa in coconut milk. oatmeal too. this looks SO GOOD.
Can we meet at Times Square? I’ll bring a kodak.
Hey Arman, this looks like a top notch yummy rice dish. We are both looking at this and saying “awesome – let’s make it!”. Saved!
Greg, you are far too kind- Thanks for your comment mate!
Thanks so much, Greg!
Love the addition of the curry seasonings and the coconut milk. It reminds me of when I eat Middle Eastern cooking, except they have some slivered and toasted almonds in there. The added crunch is just perfect. This looks fantastic as is though. Great idea, and beautiful pictures.
Oh man, another recipe I need to share from mum’s kitchen- ‘Addas pollo’ (google it!)- It’s a vegetarian basmati rice with lentils, raisins and slivered almonds in it!
Oh god, I hate NYE events like fireworks etc. All that queueing up for hours for a few minutes of excitements. Blergh. I’m hopefully going to NYC in July – I can’t wait!!
LOL. You can start lining up then! 😉
I don’t have any NYE tradition except trying to make myself stay awake, failing and then waking up at like 1:30AM, wishing myself a happy New Year, knocking back some alcohol and going back to sleep. Cheers!
I hope you achieved that!
I can’t even tell you how many NYE I’ve had where I couldn’t feel my feet because of the cold. Canada is no joke! I did always want to experience it in NYC, though… I imagine it’s a lot less cold.
And you know I’m all over the coconut basmati rice, so this is right up my alley. I appreciate it a lot more than the black eyed peas NYE tradition that is apparently a thing. I think I’ll pass on that and just listen to some BEP music instead…
Compared to Canada, I bet the NYC location would be like Summer!
YES- I totally had you in mind with this- Now we need you to try curry!
The idea of standing outside in the cold on NYE is SO not appealing to me, so I’ve always avoided it. But I’m getting roped into it this year in Niagara Falls. I think we’ll only be outside for less than an hour though, so hopefully it won’t be totally unbearable.
Love coconut basmati rice and your twist on it!
Ohhhh wow. I need to be filled in on this, I LOVE Niagara Falls (I had an obsession with them when I was 8….).
I’m pretty sure I could eat this by the bowl, Arman! It looks delicious. In fact, if the clock hits midnight and you can’t find me, then look in the kitchen…I may or may not be housing some of this awesome coconut rice. Happy (early) New Year!
Hope you didn’t go to Times Square 😉
This would be epic with a curry. Damn, I want a curry now!
What you need to do is put this in a blender with 80 packets of stevia, then toss some sprinkles on top – Boom! Ice cream! Or whatever the f we want to call it.
….. I am so confused.
Notgonnalie, the thought of NYC on NYE scares me a wee bit. Can we go there together and eat matzo ball soup at Katz Deli puh-leeeeease?! This rice…I need it…on chickpeas.
YES. Well, we shall go to KATZ but to eat their pastrami sandwich. SO. MUCH. MEAT. (You can eat the pickle).
coconut milk and rice sound like an awesome combo! Especially with all of those spices in there too! Hope you have a great new year!
You too!!! Looking forward to what recipes you bring out this new year!
There’s no way I could survive the NYE crowd in NYC. I’d need my personal space. My family’s tradition is to make the most horrible meal ever, one that includes sauerkraut. I haven’t been home for that meal in years, and I will maintain my exodus as long as they continue to prepare it. Also, once midnight hits, Dad fires a few rounds of his shotgun because we are proper Tennessee rednecks.
Dude, sauerkraut is delicious- especially if it’s extra salty and you wake up with a puffy face the next day.
And no WAY. Add hanging with you on NYE to the list. After crossfit.
Oh my gosh, this looks so good! I’ve never done new year’s in NYC, but I would LOVE to. I don’t care how crowded and crazy it is, I’d love it.
Haha, fine. But go with empty wallets 😉
Oh yes!! This sounds delicious and is a nice break from all the holiday sweets 😀
Thanks Francesca- Definitely!
Is it weird that I [think I] only ever heard about the ball drop for the first time when the movie ‘New Year’s Eve’ came out? Please lie to me.
Rice is a NYE tradition I hadn’t heard of yet but it makes sense for Persian families. The dish with all of its spices sounds good. Yesss to turmeric and cumin.
One major – and majorly delicious – food tradition my family used to have was eating raclette on New Year’s. Now that we don’t celebrate as a family anymore it’s become a rarity. Time to bring it back?!
Hahaha nothing wrong with that- That is totally the love actually movie of the new year.
I love coconut rice and your addition of spices sounds delish! I lived in Manhattan for 10 years (4 of those on 42nd and 9th- basically in Times Square) and believe it or not, I never did the Times Square New Years thing. Like you experienced, it just seemed too cold and too inconvenient. Happy New Year Arman!
Hope you guys had a great one, Sonali- And I’m jealous!!! What an amazing place to live!
Wishing you a Happy New Year! Love coconut milk in any dish – this sounds wonderful!
Thanks Jeanette- Here’s to an amazing 2015 for us!
Love basmati rice and curry, but my husband doesn’t. I have to wait until he goes away to use curry.
What! As if he doesn’t like rice and curry! Hopefully he has a trip coming up 😉
I cannot believe you did NYE in Times Square. You’re a warrior. All I think of when I think of NYE in Times Square is people wearing diapers because they don’t want to leave their good spots. I don’t think I’m brave enough.
But wow this rice looks so delicious! We love white rice from my Chinese side and sticky rice from my Laotian side. But I secretly love Basmati rice the best, even though I’m not Persian…
Wait, people wore diapers there?! WHAT! Alison, that was just you, wasn’t it.
You can be adopted Persian. Or even Malaysian Chinese- Their CHICKEN RICE OMG.
As a half-malay, I completely agree with you that chicken rice is ABSOLUTELY AH-MAZING. As for this flavourful basmati rice, I made it last night and it doesn’t rank too far behind 🙂
oh man I want some right now!
NYE in NY is one of those things that sounds amazing in theory and sucks balls (dropping balls) in reality. I’ve lived in the area my whole life and I’ve done it once, it was not my best NYE by far. The hardest part for me was having no bathroom for 8 hours. I had a terrible spot too. Just the whole thing was horrible, I cringe recalling it.
Rice looks yummy!
LOL. The ball drop sucks balls. It really does. My friend went to Starbucks to use the restroom and came back THREE hours later. i swear he just went to a bar for a drink and for me to save his spot…
Hi Arman! So NYE in New York isn’t as magical as we’d think? Good to know. I’ve never cooked rice in coconut milk, but it sure sounds tasty. Hope you have a great week! 🙂
Hope you’re doing well, Ashley! Don’t go to NYC for NYE…unless I’m there and we can chug Almond milk at midnight.
I have absolutely no desire to go to New York City for the ball to drop… Not a fan of crowds like that. I’m also not a fan of standing in the cold for extended periods of time.
Chicken salad sandwich on raisin bread? I have never had that… but I want it!! Yum.
It is so good- And it’s from a convenience store haha!
New Years in Times Square for the MIllennium was an experience that I will never forget. I was in 6th grade, and it was just chaos everywhere, all day long. And I got to see my first silver painted person, so there is that. Now, having lived in NYC, I would avoid TS like the plague, haha. I always spend it with my fmaily, usually down at our lake house (at least until I was in high school) but then I started to spend it else where. I can’t say that we have any real traditions to go along with it!
And love basmati–my favorite non brown rice for sure.
Dude, if I was in that age group I would have been peeing myself. In my older years- I couldn’t handle it!
They just released a basmati brown rice here. It tastes like punishment.
Ah, here is the rice 😉 Loves yummy! I really do love all these types of flavors and dishes!
Even though we live like an hour out from the city via train, I have no desire to ever go there on New Years Eve! I will happily watch from the warmth (non-crowded) serenity of my living room thank you very much!
I nearly didn’t even make it this year- But my friend honked a horn at me and then well…yeah!
I was actually scared when I saw this picture on Instagram. All week I have been having the weirdest random cravings for coconut basmati rice (like SPECIFICALLY BASMATI) and then you posted this.. and i was convinced that some sort of telepathy was happening on the two opposite ends of the world. So my new years might be filled with having time to finally sit down and cook some damn basmati rice.
Also, i made carrot cake nut butter largely in part because it seemed like it would go gloriously on your carrot cake bread. which i made another loaf of. and photographed. and will be making a post appearance soon 😉 and to answer my own question.. carrot cake nut butter on carrot cake bread = DOUBLE WIN! Thank you for making my life taste good. THE END.
YES! Seriously, basmati > jasmine.
I love your posts, but especially your commentary with it- Can’t wait to see what sexual innuendos this new carrot cake gets. And stop whoring out the carrot-ness.
I love [almost] anything with coconut and have been craving Indian food lately, so this sounds all sorts of awesome! _> I feel like it should still work! :P).
Oh man, it’s Summer here and I’m obsessed with all things curry!
Coconut milk rice is so good and with the addition of those spices – hello 🙂
New Years is going to be amazing this year, I can’t wait to watch those tourist loving fireworks 😉
Haha, glad you enjoyed it with those epic views. And multiple versions haha!