Level up your rice game by making this Coconut Basmati Rice. Make a big pot in 30 minutes or less and enjoy for days!
I think that knowing how to make a good rice dish is a must. This Basmati Coconut rice is simply made with rice, water, and a few seasonings, just like plain white rice, but with coconut milk.
It has the nuttiness of the basmati, and the creaminess of the coconut milk makes it the perfect match.
This is a dish popular in Asia but also in the Caribbean, where coconut milk is used in many savory dishes. I even added coconut milk to my Puerto Rican pigeon rice and made rice with pigeon peas and coconut milk.
I love the combination of coconut rice and fried chicken Puerto Rican style. You can have this with a fried pork chop or fried meatballs on the side. A good beef stew Puerto Rican style, or stewed pink beans.
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Why This Recipe Works
- It is a recipe that is pretty easy to make, with no special chef technique to get it right!
- Is a recipe that you can even make in a rice cooker.
- It is perfect to have with some saucy recipes like the saucy beef picadillo, or some chinese style pepper steak, or a Puerto Rican fricase de pollo.
Recipe Ingredients
- Oil- I use 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, but coconut oil is a great substitute.
- Coconut milk- The coconut milk must be a good quality brand to guarantee you won’t have watery coconut milk. You can use light coconut milk, but the coconut flavor will be less intense.
- Water- I use 2 cups of water in this recipe to balance the creaminess of the coconut milk.
- Seasonings- I added salt and garlic powder to add more flavor to this recipe.
- Chicken bouillon- The 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon are used to make the stock in this recipe. You can also use vegetable bouillon.
- Basmati rice- Avoid whole grain as it cooks differently. I suggest sticking only to basmati in this recipe because different grains take different amounts of cooking time.
Variations
- Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of coconut flakes to give it a touch of sweetness.
- You can also add lime zest, ginger, or scallion to elevate your rice. You can also top it with chopped cilantro.
- My favorite variation is taking 2 strips of bacon and using the fat and the bacon to give it a richer flavor. It is delicious.
How to Make Coconut Basmati Rice
- Photo 1: Add the oil, coconut milk, water, and seasonings to a large pot. Mix everything and wait for the liquid to boil. Once the water is boiling, add the rice, stir, and cover. It is very important to cover because the steam is what helps the rice cook.
- Photo 2: Once all the water has evaporated, stir your rice and cover it again. Finish cooking and fluff before serving. The result will be very fluffy and at the same time creamy rice.
Recipe Tips
- You can use any pan, but I always find that a big saucepan is best. Just make sure to cover the pan to trap the steam while cooking.
- If you want to make sticky rice like for sushi, I just add ½ cup more water.
- If you like to make crispy rice, make sure you use a caldero.
Recipe FAQs
While you certainly can soak it, it is not necessary. You will still have a fully cooked dish without soaking.
While you can, it is not suggested. Because you will be adding more fat than the rice needs, and that can make a very sticky, clumpy, not a fluffy one.
Yes, you can! All you have to do is follow the white rice setting. What I do is heat the water and coconut milk in the microwave. Then add it to the rice cooker with the rice and seasonings.
The not-so-secret ingredient is coconut milk, which should be a good-quality canned milk. Do not use milk from a carton because it is more watery than the canned version. The chicken bouillon is the other part that helps complete the flavor of this dish. What the bouillon does is infuse the rice with a flavor that balances out the coconut flavor.
The first thing to do before storing is to completely let it cool. Then store your in an airtight container or a freezer bag. Keep in your fridge for no more than 4 days and in your freezer for a month.
More Rice Recipes to Try
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Coconut Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk 1 can
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large pot over high heat, add oil, milk, water, bouillon, salt and garlic powder. Stir and cover.
- Once the water starts boiling, add the rice, stir and cover. Lower your heat to medium-high and cook for 8 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium. Fluff the rice, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Bouillon- you can use a vegetable bouillon if you don’t want to use the chicken-flavor bouillon.
- Rice- You can substitute basmati rice with white long-grain rice or jasmine rice.
- Rice cooker- This recipe is cooked on a stovetop, but it can also be made in a rice cooker. You just need ½ cup less water to make.
- White sugar- you can make this coconut rice sweet by adding 1 tablespoon of sugar. You can also deepen the sweetness by adding coconut flakes.
- Garnishes- You can garnish this rice with green onions or parsley.
- Place in an airtight container and keep in your fridge for no more than 4 days. Store in your freezer for up to a month. You can leave it longer, but I find that it starts to lose quality the longer you freeze it.
Nutrition
*The nutrition information is automatically calculated, so this is only an approximation.
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