Coconut Rice
Rice simmered in coconut milk till rich and faintly sweet — the side that steals the plate.
Ingredients
- 300 g Rice
- 400 ml Coconut milk
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar (optional)
- ½ Lime (optional)
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
- Bring the coconut milk, a splash of water, the sugar, and the salt to a gentle simmer in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring once.
- Stir the rinsed rice into the simmering liquid and cover the pot with a tight lid.
- Cook the rice on the lowest possible heat for 15 minutes — no peeking, the steam does the work.
- Rest the rice off the heat, still covered, for 5 more minutes.
- Fluff the rice gently with a fork and serve, with lime wedges and cilantro if you like.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Coconut Rice
Coconut rice is rice cooked in coconut milk instead of water, a method borrowed from Southeast Asian cooking that transforms something ordinary into something that smells like the tropics. The technique is almost foolproof: rinse your rice until the starch runs clear, simmer it in coconut milk with a pinch of salt and sugar, cover it, and let the steam do the work. What emerges is rice that's faintly sweet, rich with fat from the coconut, but not heavy—each grain stays distinct because the coconut milk, though richer than water, still produces a clean steam environment.
Where coconut rice truly shines is at the side of the plate, because it has the confidence to hold its own against assertive flavors. Serve it alongside a fiery curry, a grilled protein, or a silky braise, and it provides a platform and a cool contrast without competing. The faint sweetness and coconut aroma tie dishes together in a way that plain rice never could, which is why it's become a staple in Thai and Southeast Asian restaurants worldwide. A finish of lime juice and cilantro, if you like them, adds brightness to an already fragrant dish—though honestly, coconut rice is as good on its own, still warm from the pot, as it is as part of a larger meal.
Coconut Rice: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Coconut Rice?
A serving has about 336 calories — 5.1g protein, 44.3g carbs, 15.9g fat, 2.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Coconut Rice gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Coconut Rice has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Coconut Rice take to make?
About 25 minutes start to finish, but only around 9 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Coconut Rice?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out sugar, lime, cilantro — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Coconut Rice make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.