Coconut Rice Two Ways
Two fragrant, tropical sides made with coconut milk, lime, and fresh cilantro: fluffy coconut jasmine rice, and a grain-free coconut-lime cauliflower rice. Perfect with grilled fish, shrimp, curries, carnitas, and jerk chicken.
Yield: Serves 4–8 (each variation) · Active: 10–15 min · Total: 20–40 min · Year-round · Best eaten: midday or early evening
1. Coconut Cilantro Jasmine Rice
Creamy, fluffy, and fragrant, with lime, fresh cilantro, and toasted coconut.
2 cups jasmine rice
1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
1¼ cups filtered water
1–2 tsp coconut sugar
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
1 tbsp coconut oil
½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus the zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp coconut aminos
⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water, swirling it with your hand, until the water runs clear.
Cook. Combine the rice, coconut milk, water, coconut sugar, salt, and coconut oil in a heavy pot, and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer 18–20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
Toast the coconut. While the rice cooks, toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Move it to a plate right away, since it burns quickly.
Rest. Take the rice off the heat, and let it rest, covered, 10 minutes.
Finish. Fluff it with a fork, then stir in the cilantro, lime juice and zest, and coconut aminos. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Scatter the toasted coconut over the top just before serving. Serves 6–8.
2. Coconut-Lime Cauliflower Rice (Grain-Free)
The light, grain-free version, from my Thai Beef and Mushroom Stir-Fry.
1 large head cauliflower (or about 5 cups riced cauliflower)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup full-fat coconut milk
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Zest of 1 lime and 1–2 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Optional: 2 tbsp toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
Rice the cauliflower. Pulse the florets in a food processor until they look like rice, without turning them into paste.
Cook. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the shallot and garlic 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the cauliflower and salt, and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring, until just tender.
Add the coconut milk. Stir it in, and cook 2–3 minutes more, until it's absorbed and the cauliflower is creamy but not mushy.
Finish. Take it off the heat, and stir in the lime zest and juice and the cilantro. Top with toasted coconut, if you like. Serves 4.
Serve It With
Grilled or baked fish, or shrimp
Carnitas, or grilled chicken thighs
Storage
The coconut jasmine rice keeps refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat it with a splash of water, covered. Cool cooked rice quickly (within an hour) and keep it chilled. The cauliflower rice keeps up to 3 days; warm it gently in a skillet.
Nourishment Notes
Coconut milk and coconut oil bring lauric acid and medium-chain fats, which the body uses quickly for energy, plus a rich, creamy flavor.
Jasmine rice is a fragrant white rice. With its bran removed, it's low in phytic acid and gentle to digest, a clean, easy carbohydrate alongside protein and vegetables. Rice can absorb arsenic from the soil, so rinsing it well and choosing rice from regions with lower levels (like California, India, and Thailand) is a simple, wise step.
Cauliflower brings glucosinolates, vitamin C, vitamin K, choline, and fiber.
Cilantro — vitamin K, carotenoids, and a fresh, bright flavor.
Lime — vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron from the protein served alongside.
Coconut aminos — soy-free umami, made from coconut sap.
As a circadian food, these are best at midday or in the early evening, when your body handles carbohydrates most gracefully.
For your cycle: The jasmine rice's steady carbohydrates are especially grounding in the luteal phase, and the lighter cauliflower rice is lovely in the follicular and ovulatory phases.
More Sides
Sourcing
Jasmine rice — organic, from California, like Lundberg Family Farms, or from Thailand
Coconut milk — organic and full-fat, made with just coconut and water, with no guar gum (Native Forest Simple comes in BPA-free cans)
Coconut oil — organic, virgin, and unrefined, like Nutiva
Coconut aminos — organic and soy-free, like Coconut Secret
Cauliflower, shallots, garlic, cilantro, and limes — organic, from a farmers' market
Coconut flakes (optional) — organic and unsweetened
Coconut sugar and shredded coconut — organic coconut sugar; organic, unsweetened, sulfite-free shredded coconut
Salt — Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall