Fluffy Coconut Basmati Rice
Sweet and sour chicken … it was something I had always wanted to recreate at home, but never quite got around to. Well last week the night for my home-cooked, Chinese take-out adventure arrived. I found a simple recipe in one of the many magazines I read (Cooking Light perhaps?), and I just happened to have all of the ingredients on hand.
The recipe came together very quickly, and the colors of the dish were vibrant … too bad it tasted like crap. I mean seriously, they paid someone to come up with that formula? We ate it, I mean, it wasn’t so horrible that it needed to be thrown out, but it won’t be repeated and I won’t even be attempting to modify that recipe to improve … it’s just not worth the ingredients. Tony said it tasted like ham and pineapple pizza. Mind you, we both like Canadian bacon + pineapple pizza, but this was not the right format.
Buuuuuuut … the rice, oh the rice. I had received some Texmati Rice for review and thought my “special entrée” deserved something beyond plain old white rice. It was a white basmati, so I knew it would be light and fluffy, but a couple of additional ingredients amped up the comfort factor. This wasn’t one of those smack you in the face flavor kind of sides, but rather a really simple and mellow feel good food, if you will.
So though I had hoped to share a killer Chinese sweet & sour recipe with you (I use the word “Chinese” loosely here, as the recipe-gone-awry was even more Americanized than Americanized Chinese cuisine), at least I have a delightful side dish recipe to share …
Basmati Coconut Rice
The coconut milk adds to the fluffiness and richness of this rice, but the coconut flavor is very, very subtle. If you want more of a coconut vibe, feel free to add in some unsweetened coconut shreds. This rice goes wonderfully with bright stir-fries and Thai food.
This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, and Sugar-Free.
- 2 Cups Basmati Rice (I used Texmati White Basmati Rice)
- 1/2 Cup Regular (full fat) Coconut Milk (the kind sold in cans)
- 3 Cups Water
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Serves 6
P.S. ~ I also tried the Texmati Brown Rice. It was a lovely grain, and quite fluffy for a brown rice. I actually ate most of it for breakfast, with cinnamon, freshly ground pecan butter and a few other flavor treats … I probably should have written that down to share too, but I’m hungry in the mornings and my mind isn’t always on recipes! I have to agree with HEAB that the Texmati brown rice does have a sweet popcorn smell as it cooks!
Blog Events:
- I submitted this recipe to Real Food Weekly at The WHOLE Gang
22 thoughts on “Fluffy Coconut Basmati Rice”
That sucks about the chicken experiment, but the coconut basmati sounds heavenly. I am going to try it with brown basmati I think 🙂
I think it would be nice with brown basmati, subtle but fluffy and fragrant!
Oh YUM, the rice sounds delicious! Sorry about the chicken, that really stinks, but at least the rice was good. We are all about rice here these days since it’s gluten free. I hope you are doing well and that everything is moving in the right direction!
I’m going to make this next time I do an spicy Indian curry! Thanks for the recipe.
Ooh, that sounds delicious!
I have to make that coconut rice!
I find the recipes from CL are hit and miss. But how can you go wrong with coconut rice? Oh wait, I don’t like rice or coconut…still I can appreciate this recipe. 🙂
See comment above – “not a smack you in the face flavor recipe” – aka – it’s Katie “the coconut hater” friendly. Try it, I think you would like. If you don’t I’ll pay you back for the coconut milk That’s a 100% guarantee 🙂
I LOVE your unadulterated honest, Alisa! At least the rice was a huge success. Like I tweeted, every word of the title speaks to me. Yum! Will definitely make this recipe soon. Mr. GFE goes especially crazy over rice. 🙂
Shirley
I am going to message you the recipe I use for sweet and sour chicken. (It’s not breaded or fried though, and it’s naturally dairy-free.) It includes the rice (one-skillet dish), so you’d have to find another dish to pair with the coconut rice.
I can’t wait to try the rice!! Maybe with my soy-free teriyaki chicken!
Thanks Bethany! I got the recipe – will give it a whirl.
This is so strange, just the other day I was craving coconut rice! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Love it! I just made coconut rice the other night to go with tilapia and mango-pineapple salsa! 🙂
Oh my goodness Katie, that sounds divine!!
Sometimes I forget why i typically avoid Cooking Light recipes. And now I remember. Sorry the sweet and sour was so bad!
The coconut rice does sound fantastic though. I’m a sucker for anything coconut-flavored!
You know, now that you mention it Joanne, I’ve had quite a few Cooking Light flops lately. Time to re-evaluate.
MMMMMMM,..;that rice sounds so good & tempting to me!
I have had that happen with some recipes from that magazine too. I guess our family just needs the full fat form!! And I make coconut jasmine rice ALL of the time! I love it!! I often add a small squeeze of lime and a bit of zest to it too! Yum!! NOw you have me craving this rice!!!!
xo
k
Ooh, I love the lime twist girlfriend! I actually do a similar rice with peas, toasted cumin and some lime. Mmmm!!!!
Yep, I almost always add fat to the cooking light recipes too!
I’m sorry your Cooking Light recipe didn’t work. But yes, I agree – coconut rice is AWESOME.
I adore coconut basmati rice and always forget to make it. Thanks for the reminder!
I love Texmati Brown Rice…it’s really good!!!! Never had coconut rice though!
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