Yellow Coconut Rice

Bright yellow and fragrant with coconut and mildly aromatic with onions and spices, this delicious rice makes the perfect side-dish for Asian or Indian style meals.

I've been dabbling in more exotic food recently, well exotic for us.  We're pretty plain eaters and making this coconut rice is right up there with a visit to the Taj Mahal. I made it the weekend Peter and Vicki were visiting and we all enjoyed it tremendously with soya chunks in masala sauce.  Who says you can't teach and old dog new tricks? Ha, ha.

I've had several requests for the recipe so I decided to let everyone in on it.  I'm not sure where I originally found this recipe as it was tucked away in my "To Try" file for some time.  I tried to track it down but there were so many similar recipes and none of them exactly like the one I had.  And, of course, I changed a few things to make it more accommodating to my budget and availability of ingredients.  You will see "a pinch of" that can be used instead of the stated ingredient because not everyone wants to buy a bottle whole cloves or cinnamon sticks for just one recipe that they may or may not like. 

Printable recipe at end of post.

Yellow Coconut Rice

• 2 tablespoons oil 
• 2 cups finely chopped onion, about ½ pound
• 2 cups Jasmine or long-grain parboiled rice
• 1 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1½ teaspoons  salt or to taste
• 1 400 ml can coconut milk and enough water to make 2 cups
• ¾ cup vegetarian "chicken" or vegetable bouillon or broth
• 2 whole cloves (or tiny pinch of ground cloves)
• 1 whole cinnamon stick (or pinch of ground cinnamon)
• 2 bay leaves 
• Sliced green onions to garnish

How to make it:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over moderate high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes until onion is starting to turn clear. 

Add in the turmeric, salt and rice; continue to cook for additional 2 minutes. 

Add the coconut milk with water and broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the whole cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. 

Turn the heat on low and cook the rice, covered for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the rice to make sure it is done.  Cook a few minutes longer if needed, adding a tablespoon or two of water if the rice is dry.

 

When cooked, remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves. Fluff rice with fork and serve with a sprinkle of sliced green onion. 

Makes 6-8 servings

I gave these onions another chop just before I put them in the pot.  

Sauté onions in oil for two minutes.  Don't burn them.

Add in the turmeric, salt and rice; continue to cook for additional 2 minutes. 

Add the coconut milk with water and broth and bring the mixture to a boil. 

Stir in the whole cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. 

Turn the heat on low and cook the rice, covered for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check the rice to make sure it is done.  Cook a few minutes longer if needed, adding a tablespoon or two of water if the rice is dry.

When cooked, remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves. 

Fluff rice with fork and serve with a sprinkle of sliced green onion. 

Yellow Coconut Rice makes a delicious side-dish for Asian or Indian style meals.

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩