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    Home » Recipes » Rice » Savory Ginger Garlic Coconut Rice

    Savory Ginger Garlic Coconut Rice

    Published: Mar 1, 2022 · Modified: Mar 1, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

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    This savory coconut rice is tender, fluffy, and delicious. Mild coconut flavor with hints of ginger and garlic, it makes a perfect side dish to any main entree, especially a rich curry! When you're wanting something beyond usual plain rice, this is a delicious option!

    Growing up in a Chinese household, rice was on the table at just about every meal...even at Christmas and Thanksgiving!

    I still like having rice, but perhaps not as often as when I was a kid. And I also enjoy different ways of cooking up rice besides plain steamed.

    Introducing this savory coconut rice! This rice is just as comforting as regular rice, but with some added flavor!

    Ingredients

    You don't need much to liven up plain rice! For this recipe, all you need is

    • rice
    • coconut milk
    • coconut oil
    • ginger
    • garlic
    • salt

    What type of rice do I use?

    I use a long-grain rice for this recipe like jasmine or basmati. You could make this with a short grain rice like pearl or Japanese rice, but I prefer the way long-grain rice cooks up fluffy as opposed to sticky.

    Cooking Suggestion: I also like add a bit of wild rice to the mix sometimes to add some color and texture. It's totally optional and is just another way of fancying up plain rice!

    How To Make the Coconut Rice

    The first step is to rinse the rice to wash away excess starch and dirt. Rinsing the rice can be done using a colander or you can add water to the rice in the pot, swirl it around with your hands, drain, and repeat a couple more times until the water is mostly clear.

    I prefer to use colander because then I know most of the water has drained away before I add the actual cooking liquid to the pot.

    White rice and black wild rice being rinsed and in a bowl with ginger slices, garlic, and white coconut milk.

    Transfer the rice to the pot and add the sliced ginger, sliced garlic, salt, water and coconut milk. Stir with a spoon, then gently shake the pot to level out the rice.

    Rice Cooker Method:

    Place the pot in your rice cooker and cook as you would plain rice.

    Stovetop Method:

    Place the pot, uncovered, over medium high heat. Once the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let the rice cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove the lid and let it cook for another couple of minutes to cook off any remaining liquid.

    A dark round pot containing cooked white rice with wild rice, ginger slices, and garlic slices.

    Fluff the Rice

    It may not seem like a big deal, but after the rice is cooked, it's important to "fluff" it using chopsticks, spoon, or rice paddle before serving it. Fluffing the rice helps separate the grains so that they dry out a bit and don't just stick and clump together.

    A pair of black chopsticks in cooked white rice mixed with black wild rice.

    What To Serve with Coconut Rice

    As I mentioned, this savory coconut rice complements many different entrees. Some ideas are:

    • Crispy Crunchy Cornflakes Chicken
    • Chicken Skewers with Thai Curry Dipping Sauce
    • Chinese Poached Black Cod
    • Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork
    • Korean Kalbi Short Ribs

    Looking for some more creative ways to cook rice? Consider these recipes:

    • Rice Cooker Salmon and Egg Rice
    • Rice Cooker Chinese Sticky Rice
    • Chicken Rice Salad Medley
    • Rice Crust Pizza
    • Pepper Beef Rice Skillet

    Simple plain cooked rice is always a good option, but with just a few extra minutes and ingredients, you can elevate your rice to something even more delicious and add extra flavor oomph to your meal! It's so easy that there's no reason not to try it!

    ~ Lisa.

    Savory Ginger Garlic Coconut Rice

    This savory coconut rice is tender, fluffy, and delicious. Mild coconut flavor with hints of ginger and garlic, it makes a perfect side dish to any main entree, especially a rich curry! When you're wanting something beyond usual plain rice, this is a delicious option worth trying!
    No ratings yet
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    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Asian
    Keyword: coconut rice, easy gluten-free, flavored rice, rice cooker, vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Makes: 6 servings
    Author: Lisa from A Day in the Kitchen

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain rice (use a regular 1-cup measure, not the cup that comes with your rice cooker)
    • 1 cup coconut milk
    • 1 cup water
    • 4-5 slices ginger
    • 3-4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
    • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon wild rice (optional)

    Optional Garnishings:

    • Sesame seeds
    • Chopped green onions
    • Furikake

    Equipment

    • Rice Cooker

    Instructions

    • Place the rice in a colander and rinse under cool water until the water mostly runs clear. If using wild rice, rinse it with the long-grain rice.

    Rice Cooker:

    • In rice cooker pot, combine rice with the coconut milk, water, ginger slices, garlic slices, coconut oil, and salt. Stir to combine and shake slightly to level out the rice.
    • Cook the rice on the Normal or White Rice setting until done.

    Stovetop:

    • 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 lid and let cook 2 more minutes to cook off any remaining liquid.

    To serve:

    • Remove ginger slices (if desired) and fluff rice with chopsticks.

    Optional garnishes:

    • Sesame seeds, chopped green onions, furikake.

    Notes

    • Use a real 1 cup measuring cup for the rice, NOT the plastic cup that comes with the rice cooker.
    • Long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati rice work well with this recipe.
    • Use of wild rice is completely optional.
    • For a stronger coconut flavor, substitute the water with more coconut milk.
    • Add more ginger or garlic for stronger flavors in the rice.
    • For a variations to the rice, add cardamon pods, star anise, or turmeric.
    • Goes great with curry, Asian flavors.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @dayinthekitchen or tag #adayinthekitchen!

    This post was originally published on April 22, 2018 and republished in March 2022 with an updated recipe, new photos, instructional photos, and writing.

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    I cook up big ideas in my small kitchen in Hong Kong! My recipes are big on healthy eating, real food, and international flavors that you can create in any size kitchen. I also specialize in gluten-free cooking and baking, demystifying gluten-free and showing you how easy and delicious it can be!

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