Moist and fluffy with a mild coconut flavor, this savory coconut rice is a perfect side to any main entree, especially curries.
Growing up in a Chinese household, it's not surprising that rice was a staple in our house. No matter what my mother made for dinner, she always made steamed rice, too.
And soup. But that's another story for another post for another day.
To this day, whether she's eating at home or at my brother's or sister's house, my mum says, "You always have to have rice." When my dad was still alive, she'd say, "You have to have rice. Daddy needs rice." So if my mum is joining for dinner, steamed rice is always served, even if the main dish is roast beef, grilled ribs or chicken...even Thanksgiving turkey!
We don’t eat rice everyday like I did when I was a kid, but I’m never without it in the cupboard. My oldest son, however, thinks rice should be considered a vegetable and would eat rice everyday if he could (thus why, he is affectionately referred to as “Rice Boy” in our house)!
Sometimes, however, we want a change from plain ol’ regular steamed rice...something with a bit more flavor that contributes a bit more "oomph" to the meal. Enter savory ginger garlic coconut rice!
It doesn’t take much to take rice from boring to YUM. All you need is coconut milk, water, coconut oil, ginger, garlic, salt, and basmati rice. I used a basmati wild rice blend, but you can use straight-up basmati rice, if you want.
Combine all the ingredients and cook it in your rice cooker or on the stovetop and before you know it, you’ve got tender and tasty coconut rice!
This savory coconut rice would be a perfect side to just about any dish. Try it with curries, stir-fries, beef, chicken, shrimp, seafood…it’s tasty AND versatile! Besides curries, one dish I love to enjoy it with is my Crispy Crunchy Cornflakes Chicken!
So if you’re looking to make your rice a bit more exciting (for lack of a better word), you’ll have to give this savory ginger garlic coconut rice a try. It’s a thumbs-up winner with Rice Boy in our house and it will be with you, too!
~ Lisa.
Savory Ginger Garlic Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups uncooked basmati rice (Please see note below)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 2-3 slices ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse rice under cold water until water is no longer cloudy.
- In rice cooker pot, combine rice with all other ingredients and cook as normal.
- If using the stovetop method, combine all the ingredients in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove ginger slices and fluff rice with chopsticks or a wooden spoon before serving.
Notes
- Use a real 1 cup measuring cup for the rice, NOT the plastic cup that comes with the rice cooker.
- For a stronger coconut flavor, increase the amount of coconut milk while decreasing the water by the same amount so you still end up with the same total amount of liquid (2 ¼ cups).
- Add more ginger or garlic for stronger flavors in the rice.
- If you cannot find a basmati wild rice blend, plain basmati or any long-grain rice will work just fine.
- Goes great with curry, Asian flavors.
If you make this dish, share your photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @dayinthekitchen!
Try making this with:
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- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pulled Chicken
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- Crispy Crunchy Cornflakes Chicken
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- Broiled Miso Salmon Filets
You might also like:
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- Chicken Rice Salad Medley
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- Pepper Beef Rice Skillet
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- Rice Crust Pizza
