I didn’t plan on blogging about this rice today. Or any day for that matter. I actually didn’t have any idea how messing around with a simple rice trick was going to turn out so … delicious and addicting!
It all started with a so-called recipe where you substitute coconut milk for half the liquid, adding a bit more total liquid than normal to compensate for all the non-liquid stuff in the coconut milk.
Well, I can never leave well enough alone, and I am so glad I didn’t!
I had recently been digging through my basket of dried fruit bags, looking for some MIA quinoa that might have landed there, when I ran across a bag of shredded coconut I had toasted a while back just to have on hand. I love toasted coconut best of all coconut preparations. LOVE it. I also noticed the partial bag of thick dried “young” coconut slices I had tucked in the bottom of the basket to hide from my son, who was in danger of growing a thick brown fibrous covering if he ate any more of the mildly sweetened slabs of pure white.
So that’s what happened to the coconut milk + rice recipe. I chopped some of the dried coconut chunks and added them partway through the cooking time. I stirred in some toasted coconut, along with cilantro, at the end of the cooking time and set some extra aside for garnishing.
I used Arborio rice – seems that’s the only white rice around this house anymore. I’m a whole grain fiend! We do make the occasional risotto with the white Arborio (our most famous risotto was for the day after Sam’s wedding!)
Anyway, I hadn’t intended to make a creamy/sticky batch of rice, but didn’t want to take the time to cook the brown jasmine rice I originally planned to use. I decided to capitalize on Arborio’s sticky, sauce-producing qualities and stirred the rice at three different times during cooking.
With the slightly sweetened coconut ingredients, this rice turned into almost a dessert! I dished myself up a modest ½ c. for dinner. I drizzled a little of my freshly made salsa verde along one edge – good idea! (It was a green and white dinner – hake (white fish) with salsa verde, coconut rice, and choose-your-own fruit for dessert… no kiwis on hand though!)
After that yummy dinner, I had what remained in the pan — about 3/4 cup — for dessert! It was that good, even with cilantro in my dessert!
A few bites from the end of my Triple Coconut Rice dessert (which are pictured above), I decided I needed to share this with you immediately, so the pics include that tiny bit of remaining rice (which I promptly ate after taking the last picture!) I’m so excited for this combination of ingredients! Sometimes it’s a good thing when you don’t do exactly what you planned to do! You have to try it!
TRIPLE COCONUT RICE
(Pictures below show you the labels to help you find the same/similar items)
1 c. Arborio rice, or a short grain/medium grain Asian sticky rice would work
1 1/4 c. water
1 1/4 c. “lite” coconut milk
2 – 3 Tbsp. diced dried/sweetened “Young Coconut” pieces
1/3 c. shredded sweetened coconut, toasted until golden – yield 1/4 c. after toasting (this coconut was the kind popularly available for baking in the US)
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, or to taste
Bring rice, water, and coconut milk to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low simmer and cover. Stir well at 10 minute point. At 15 minutes, add diced coconut pieces and stir well again. At 20 minutes the rice should be done. (If not, stir in another 2 Tbsp. water and continue cooking another 5 minutes.) Stir in the cilantro and HALF the toasted coconut (2 Tbsp.)
Top with remaining 2 Tbsp. toasted coconut at serving time. A few leaves of cilantro look nice, too.
Technically, serves 4. If your family likes rice, serves 2-3 :) You’ll want to make enough for leftovers! Optional: use salsa verde or anything else that might sound good for some fun flavor combination.
Next time I make Triple Coconut Rice, we’re having lime-marinated shrimp and grilled fresh pineapple… :) and probably company for dinner!
Gail
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