How to Cook Coconut Rice in a Rice Cooker: Tips, FAQs, Recipes
Coconut rice is a coconut-flavored rice dish that has been cooked with coconut milk. This type of rice dish is common in some Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Indonesia. Coconut rice can be served either savory or sweet – it all depends on the recipe!
In this blog post, we will go over how to cook coconut rice in a rice cooker and answer some questions about cooking coconut rice in a cooker. We also have recipes for you to try out at home!
What is coconut rice?
Coconut rice is white sticky aromatic long grain basmati rice cooked with coconut cream/milk, butter, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon. It is a coconut rice recipe that has coconut milk as its main ingredient rather than water.
How do I make coconut rice in a cooker?
There are a few different coconut rice recipes you can try out. You will need coconut oil, coconut milk (or water), and white or brown rice as the ingredients. Here is one example of how to cook coconut rice in a rice cooker:
- Measure your dry rice into your cooking bowl. It usually takes about half of a cup of rice to make coconut rice.
- Measure out one cup of coconut milk or water for every half a cup dry coconut rice that you have measured into the bowl. You can also use broth instead if you want your coconut rice to have more flavor!
- Add in some salt, pepper, cumin, and other spices as desired – these flavors work well with coconut rice.
- Stir everything together, making sure that the spices are evenly distributed throughout your coconut milk or water and coconut rice mixture.
- Cover your cooker’s cooking bowl securely to avoid moisture from escaping while you cook it on a stove over low heat for about 20 minutes. If possible, use the steam function in order to cook coconut rice.
- If you do not have a steam function, then the coconut rice mixture should still be done after 20 minutes on low heat – just check it with your spoon to make sure that all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Stir in some chopped cilantro leaves when finished cooking for an even more coconut-y flavor!
Tips on cooking coconut rice
If you are cooking coconut rice in a rice cooker for the first time, you will enjoy this section. Here we have a few tips for cooking coconut rice in a rice cooker. It’s better to have ceramic rice cookers for cooking coconut rice.
- If you are using coconut milk, make sure to shake the can well before opening it.
- Add coconut cream along with coconut milk if you want your coconut rice really creamy.
- You should add more water than usual when cooking coconut rice because of the high fat content in coconut milk.
- Do not overcook coconut rice in a rice cooker or else it will become very soggy and lose its taste.
- You can also make coconut rice with other ingredients like tomatoes, curry leaves and onions.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some common questions that new cooks most often have about rice cookers.
Q: Can I use brown or white rice to make coconut rice?
Yes! You can use both brown or white rice for coconut rice. We have given you the measurements above that are used with white or brown rice – it all depends on which type of coconut milk, water, and spices you prefer to use in your coconut dish.
Q: Are coconut rice and coconut milk the same thing?
No, coconut rice is a dish that can be made with coconut milk. Coconut rice does not have to contain coconut milk – you can use regular water or broth instead. Some varieties of coconut rice are sweet while others are savory.
Q: How much coconut milk should I use to make coconut rice?
Typically, you will need about one cup of coconut milk (or water) per half a cup dry coconut rice. You can also add in your spices and other ingredients at this stage if desired – just make sure that you measure everything out before cooking coconut rice.
Q: How long should I cook coconut rice?
Once your coconut mixture is ready, it will typically take 20 minutes on low heat for the coconut milk and coconut rice to finish cooking. If possible, use the steam function in order to cook coconut rice – this makes a difference!
Q: Is coconut rice good for you?
Yes! Coconut rice is a great source of healthy fats and other nutrients, making it a very nutritious meal. We recommend that coconut rice be served with fresh vegetables to boost up the nutritional value even more.
Conclusion
Cooking coconut rice with a rice cooker is easy, but there are some things to consider before you start. And we think all those things have been covered in this article. You just need to read and follow.