Craving fluffy, flavorful rice with tropical flair? Coconut rice made in a rice cooker is the perfect easy side dish to elevate any meal from basic to outstanding. With just a few simple ingredients and tips, you can effortlessly infuse white rice with rich coconut aroma and taste.
Cooking coconut rice in the Best Rice Cooker takes all the guesswork out of stovetop methods. Simply toss everything into the rice cooker pot and let the automated cooking cycle do its thing. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have a big batch of tender, fragrant coconut rice to serve alongside your favorite curries, seafood, chicken, or other island-inspired cuisine.
Let’s dive into the details on ingredients and step-by-step instructions. You’ll also get plenty of helpful tips and flavor variations to make craveable coconut rice every single time.
Coconut Rice Ingredients
Before getting started, gather these key ingredients:
- Long grain white rice (Basmati or Jasmine work best)
- Full-fat coconut milk
- Coconut oil or butter
- Salt
- Granulated sugar (optional)
For 1 cup of uncooked rice:
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
You can easily double or triple this ratio to make bigger batches of coconut rice as needed. Just be sure to use a full-fat, high-quality coconut milk for maximum flavor and richness. Light coconut milk doesn’t infuse as much coconutty essence.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making restaurant-worthy coconut rice in your trusty rice cooker is incredibly simple:
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.
- Add the rinsed rice, coconut milk, water, coconut oil, salt, and sugar (if using) directly into the rice cooker inner pot.
- Use the included rice paddle to stir everything together well.
- Select the “White Rice” cook function and start the cooker. Most models automatically determine cooking time.
- Once the rice is done cooking, use the rice paddle to fluff it up and let it rest with the lid open for 5-10 minutes.
- Fluff again, transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with sliced green onions, toasted coconut flakes or chopped cilantro if desired.
That’s it! With this set-it-and-forget-it method, you get perfect coconut rice every single time. No watching the pot, stirring, or adding extra liquid required.
Tips for the Best Coconut Rice
- Use a high-quality rice cooker with advanced logic functions like the Zojirushi or Cuckoo brands. This will deliver the best rice texture.
- Rinse rice thoroughly before cooking to remove starch and help the grains stay fluffy when cooked in coconut milk.
- Add 1-2 lightly crushed cardamom pods to the cooking liquid if you want hints of earthy spice in your coconut rice.
- To add even more coconutty flavor and richness, you can replace some of the water with coconut cream. Start with 1/4 cup cream + 1/4 cup water.
- If the finished rice seems too thick or sticky, add a splash of boiling water and gently stir for fluffier coconut rice.
- For a nuttier flavor, substitute brown rice for the long grain white rice. Increase the cooking liquid by 1/4 cup.
- Keep cooked coconut rice warm in the closed rice cooker pot for up to 4-6 hours. The keep warm mode ensures moisture is retained.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftover coconut rice after completely cooled. Heat again with 1-2 tbsp of liquid to revive moisture.
Flavor Variations
The beauty of coconut rice in your rice cooker is how easy it is to add extra flavors, spices or ingredients:
Curried Coconut Rice
Stir in 1-2 tsp of yellow curry powder plus a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes to the coconut milk mixture. Garnish with cilantro.
Pineapple Coconut Rice
Add 1/2 cup diced pineapple to the cooking liquid before cooking. The pineapple infuses amazing tropical flavors.
Coconut Cilantro Lime Rice
Finish cooked rice with fresh cilantro, lime juice and lime zest for a citrusy, herbaceous twist. Makes a perfect side for tacos or burritos.
Coconut Rice with Peas
Fold in frozen peas or edamame once the rice finishes cooking for an easy veggie boost.
Coconut Ginger Rice
Grate in fresh ginger or ginger paste to the coconut milk liquid before cooking. So aromatic!
Coconut Rice Stuffed Peppers
Stuff roasted bell peppers with the finished coconut rice combined with cooked shrimp or chicken for an amazing complete meal.
Coconut Rice Creamy Shrimp
Top coconut rice with grilled, sauteed or blackened shrimp plus a drizzle of coconut cream or coconut curry sauce.
Final Thoughts
You really can’t mess up coconut rice in the rice cooker! Just add any favorite herbs, spices, veggies or proteins to the base coconut rice for endless flavors.
It makes such a fantastic and fragrant carb for weeknight dinners. And with a hands-off rice cooker, you can achieve perfect fluffy coconut rice without stress. Just set it and forget it!
For delicious and easy coconut rice with authentic island essence, look no further than your trusty rice cooker. With these handy tips and tricks, you can master this craveable, creamy side dish.
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