Fluffy coconut rice eluded me for years. And finally, I’ve cracked it! The trick is to use the oven rather than the stove. The coconut rice comes out super fluffy, not gluey and mushy. It’s just like you get at restaurants.
Coconut Rice
Truly fluffy coconut rice eluded me for years. I felt like I tried every variation possible, but when I lifted the lid, I’d stare at dismay at into a pot of mushy rice, thick with coconut milk scum. Usually with unevenly cooked rice grains – some hard, some overly soft – and almost always with a scorched base.
The making of my cookbook gave me the excuse I needed to commit to cracking coconut rice, once and for all. 30+ tests later, I’m so happy to say my team and I have cracked the secret code.
And every since then, I’ve never looked back. Fluffy coconut rice every. single. time WITHOUT FAIL!
The secret to fluffy coconut rice – BAKE IT
The trick to fuss-free fluffy coconut rice is to bake it rather than cook it on the stove. The coconut rice comes out perfectly fluffy every time, and no scorched pot!
How to make perfect coconut rice
Rinse the rice – this is a must to remove excess starch. I don’t do this when cooking normal white rice. It’s essential for coconut rice because coconut milk is thicker than water so it can make the rice a gluey mess. Just rinse the rice until the water is pretty clear. It will never be 100% clear.
Soak rice for 1 hour – this essentially gives the rice grains a bit of a head start in the water absorption phase. This is critical to ensure the rice cooks through evenly because coconut milk is thicker than water which makes it harder for the rice grains to absorb the liquid.
Can’t just use coconut milk – it’s just too thick, the rice can’t absorb it properly. It needs to be diluted with some water. I find the perfect flavour / rice texture is achieved by using 1 can (400ml/14oz) coconut milk with 1 cup of water (just over 2 1/2 cups) for 2 cups of rice.
Bring coconut milk and water to boil first – This is quite key as well! We need to heat the liquid before adding into the rice in a baking pan to get the cooking process started as soon as the rice is in the oven.
If you just pour cold water and room temperature coconut milk over the rice, it takes a good 10 to 15 minutes for the liquid to heat up in the oven during which time the rice is just wallowing in lukewarm liquids which causes it to bloat and cook unevenly.
Bake, covered with foil, for 40 minutes at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). By covering the rice, we are essentially making steam rice just like you do on the stove. Except, we don’t to worry about scorching the base of the pot and the heat distributes much more evenly through the rice so it cooks through evenly!
Rest 15 minutes – Take the pan out of the oven and rest, covered in foil, for 15 minutes. This step is essential so do not skip it or shortcut the resting time. During the resting time, the rice will finish cooking through evenly and the wetness on the surface of the rice grains will be absorbed, leaving the rice fluffy.
And that, my friends, is the secret to fluffy coconut rice.
It’s a lot of words. But don’t worry, actually cooking it is super duper simple. Just pop it in the oven and leave it to do its thing!
How to rinse rice
I find it easiest to rinse rice in a bowl. Just pour the rice in a bowl and fill with water, then swish it around. Drain (just pour the water out best you can, no need to use a colander), then fill with water again and repeat 4 to 5 times until the water is pretty clear.
The water will never be completely clear! My rule of thumb is 4 to 5 refills of the bowl.
BONUS coconut milk powder option: There’s another way to make fluffy coconut rice on the stove using coconut milk powder. The result is not quite as fluffy as using the oven and the coconut flavour is not quite as intense. But it’s still very good, much better than stove-top using coconut milk, and a good option for those times when you don’t have an oven.
I’ve popped that extra recipe below the coconut milk recipe (ie scroll to bottom of post). It’s an extra because coconut milk powder isn’t as common as coconut milk. While I always have coconut milk on hand, I don’t usually have powder!
How to make Thai / Asian Coconut Rice
To get a true Asian restaurant coconut rice, the secret is to add pandan leaves. If you can’t find pandan leaves, kaffir limes leaves also add a similar fragrance.
This is what pandan leaves looks like. It’s sold at some Harris Farms in Australia, as well as Asian stores.
To prepare them for use, just knot them – this breaks the leaves, releasing the flavour so it infuses into the rice.
What to serve with coconut rice
Coconut rice is a rice dish that is used in cuisines such as Caribbean, Tropical (Hawaiian!) as well as South East Asian foods such as Thai and Malaysian foods.
But don’t let “rules” restrict you. Use it as you wish – and I promise you, it’s so delish, you can even eat it plain, straight out of the pot!
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
Coconut Rice will go great with…
Everything Thai and Vietnamese
Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Jerk Fish
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Restaurant Style Coconut Rice (Coconut Milk)
Ingredients
Coconut Rice
- 2 cups jasmine rice (Note 1)
- 400 ml / 14 oz coconut milk , full fat or light (Note 2)
- 1 cup water
- 5 tsp white sugar (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
Asian Restaurant Style flavour – use ONE:
- 1 pandan leaves , knotted
- 2 kaffir lime leaves , crushed in hand
Optional Garnish:
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut , toasted, to garnish
Instructions
- Rinse rice in water until the water runs pretty clear. (Note 1)
- Soak & drain – Drain rice then soak in water for 1 hour. Then drain in a colander and leave to drain well for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan).
- Rice in pan – Place the rice in a 20cm / 8" square pan (metal or ceramic). Add pandam or kaffir, if using.
- Heat coconut milk – Heat coconut milk, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Bake 40 minutes – Working quickly (to minimise heat loss), pour hot liquid over rice, stir quickly to spread rice evenly. Cover with foil then bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Rest 15 minutes – Remove the pan from the oven. Take a quick peek to ensure the liquid has been absorbed (tilt pan to check). There will be coconut cream on the surface – that's normal. Rest rice, covered, for 15 minutes. Do not shortcut this!
- Fluff with rubber spatula. Garnish with toasted coconut, if using, then serve. Marvel at fluffy rice!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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Fluffy Coconut Rice – Coconut POWDER
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice (or long grain) (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 packet coconut milk powder (1.75 oz / 50 g) (see notes)
- 2 kaffir lime leaves , crumpled in your hand OR 3 pandam leaves, knotted – OPTIONAL, for Asian restaurant style
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut , toasted, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over high heat. Place lid on.
- When it comes to the boil (watch it, you don’t want it to boil over), turn down the heat to low / medium low so it is simmering gently.
- Leave it to simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove from heat and rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Fluff with fork. Garnish with toasted coconut, if using, then serve.
Any suggestions for making the baked version for 25 people? Can I just multiply the ingredients out?
Best recipe ever !
Coconut rice was a perfect side dish to the Rendang Beef.
I used 220ml can of coconut cream, water in the can of coconut cream + 1 x 3/4 cup of water . I washed the rice but did not soak. I only used 2tspn of sugar..When placed in baking dish I chopped up 50grm of butter & spread ontop of seasoned rice. Turned out super yummy.
This is the loveliest coconut rice I have ever tried (including from some restaurants) The quality of the coconut milk/cream makes all the difference in the result, the Ayam brand that Nagi uses is my favourite too.
I serve this with Nagi’s Beef Rendang recipe, they are a perfect pairing, thank you Nagi!
This is by far the best coconut rice!! I have lost track of the number of times I’ve made this delicious rice!! The fluffing step is very important.
I love this recipe but I shortcut by boiling the rice first THEN washing it.
Give this a try Nagi , I’d be keen to know what you reckon, saves time on soaking.
Also, massive fan over here, love you and your website , you are amazing 🙂
I love this rice! But did you have a coconut rice recipe that had garlic and ginger in it?
I’ve never been able to make restaurant quality rice at home until this recipe. Follow it to the letter and your rice will be perfect too…
Simply the best coconut rice recipe. It’s perfect every time and the kids love it. Fluffy and full of flavour even though it’s a bit of admin.
I have made this twice now – both stovetop and baked versions. Definitely came out fluffier after the baking, this will be my go-to from now on! Only used two teaspoons of sugar and that was perfect for our taste. Thank you!!
Hi,
You had a Coconut Rice recipe that was on the stove top and used Coconut Milk, not coconut powder, but I can no longer find it.
Can you please share it it makes the perfect coconut rice but i can’t remember the quantities.
This will make it easier. Didn’t think of copying the link until after I replied to your comment.
https://salesdock.info/coconut-lime-cilantro-coriander-rice/#wprm-recipe-container-25294%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Sh*t, I messed up. Sorry. This is the CORRECT recipe. Kudos to Lisa!
https://web.archive.org/web/20201021050506/https://salesdock.info/fluffy-coconut-rice/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hey Andrew – a commenter found the recipe we’ve been looking for and provided a link. Scroll through the comments and look for Lisa, she’s the one who posted the link, bless her!
I made this but I did 1.5 times the recipe.
Unfortunately mine came out gluey.
Maybe because I made more?
I’ll have to give it another go at another stage but wasn’t happy with my results.
Any advice on needing to make more than recipe?
I gave it an extra 8 mins as there was more to cook. Did everything else exactly but 1.5 times amounts
I just tripled this recipe and it came out great! I did one in an 8inch pan (per recipie) and then combined the other two in a 9×11 pan. I heated the milk separately (doubled the recipie for one and then made as instructed for the other) and both came out great!
Hello Nagi! Can this be made in advance? Like the day before an event instead of right before? Desperate to do for a lunch event but I have a few different catering requirements on the day lol.
Great coconut rice, we really enjoyed this! The prep time needs to be adjusted through to 1 hr 5 mins to include the soaking.
I was on the hunt for a quick coconut rice recipe that I could multiply to 150 servings for an event. I tested this out on a single serving before I attempted it for the event. I followed the recipe to the tee, and oh my lawd!! 😀 This was heavenly, fluffy and delicious! I didn’t have any pandan leaf or kefir lime, but I did have a stalk of lemongrass grass, which got tossed in as surely as the coconut milk, and the final result is spectacularly scrumptious! Highly recommend having this with some spicy roast chicken.
Curious to know if coconut water (instead of the water in the recipe) would add to the coconut flavor. Has anyone done that?
This is so good. Due to dietary restrictions I’ve been having this for breakfast & using for my husband’s dinner with chicken stir fry. Win win!
Thanks Nagi – had coconut rice with your Thai Beef Salad. Absolutely fabulous!
This is a winner for prep and flavor. I was skeptical at first. So glad I went ahead. All the positive reviews were on point.
Actual prep time is minimal.
The coconut flavor really comes through. I used full fat coconut milk. Next time will try lite. Thank you Nagi, for another winner
This rice is absolutely awesome. 100% worth the time. I was dubious about the sweetness so halved the sugar. Threw in scrunched lime leaves. So yummy. The smell of the leftover rice the today is amazing. I’m thinking Fried rice tomorrow.