When we go to a Thai restaurant and they have Coconut Rice as a side dish on the menu, we always choose to order Coconut Rice over plain rice. The hint of coconut with the aroma and maybe some toasted coconut flakes is always enticing. I always keep cans of coconut milk in the pantry. They have a long shelf life, and are a great addition to many dishes. I add coconut milk to make Thai curries, or even many indian curries when I want to skip the heavy cream and make them vegan. And basmati or jasmine rice are always in the pantry too. So it is super easy to whip up these coconut rice. It is super simple and easy to make Instant Pot Coconut Rice in the pressure cooker, and you always have consistent results. Al dente rice which are fluffy, each grain separate. We found these rice to be even fluffier than plain rice cooked in the instant pot. You will love the subtle flavor of coconut. Let me clarify, it is not overwhelming at all.
What is Coconut Rice?
Coconut Rice is basically rice prepared by cooking them along with coconut milk or with coconut flakes. Coconut rice is popular in many countries such as in Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, some parts of Latin America and also in southern parts of India. The preparation slightly varies in each country, but they all mostly use coconut milk to make the rice.
What ingredients are added to Coconut Rice?
The main two ingredients to make Coconut Rice are – Rice & Coconut milk. Along with that, add some water, salt and/or sugar. You can use basmati rice or jasmine rice to make Coconut Rice. I have made with both basmati and jasmine rice, and they both work really well. Use canned unsweetened coconut milk, not the beverage you find in the refrigerator section at the super market. You can use full-fat or light coconut milk. I usually skip sugar when making coconut rice, but feel free to add based on your preference.
How to make Coconut Rice in Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker)?
This is the easiest rice recipe you will find. If you are new to the instant pot, check out this quick setup guide.
Add rinsed rice, coconut milk, water and salt to the instant pot. Give a quick stir and close the lid. Use the Rice function, which for about 1 cup of rice defaults to 12 minutes of low pressure cooking. Note: You can also pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. When the cooking time is done, do a 10 minute NPR. This means let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure.
Fluff the rice with a fork. I like to top with some coconut flakes. When serving, I like to garnish with spring onions and some black sesame seeds for a pop of color. You can also top with cilantro or just enjoy them as is. Oh…and if you like to add veggies to make this a pilaf, you can certainly add veggies such as chopped carrots, green beans or green peas before pressure cooking. Her his my vegetable pulao recipe, which you can use as a reference. You can use the same method to make rice in the Ninja Foodi pressure cooker.
How to make pot-in-pot Coconut Rice?
With the instant pot, I love the convenience of pot-in-pot cooking. When you are making a curry in the main pot, you can cook rice pot-in-pot at the same time. It is such a time saver to have complete dinner ready in one go! Learn more about the instant pot pot-in-pot method with this comprehensive guide! To cook Coconut Rice pot-in-pot, follow the same method but add all the ingredients to a steel bowl that fits in the instant pot insert. Add a cup of water to the instant pot insert (not required if you are cooking a curry in the main pot). Place a trivet and the steel bowl with the ingredients mixed on it. Pressure cook for 5 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 10 minute NPR. This cooking time works well with steel bowl. If using an oven-safe glass bowl, add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time. Perfectly cooked coconut rice!
What to serve with Coconut Rice?
As I mentioned, Coconut rice goes really well with Thai dishes, such as curry or stir fry. We enjoy coconut rice with Indian curries too. Below are my favorites to enjoy with coconut rice:
Thai green curry with Tofu Vegan Thai Pumpkin Red Curry Kung Pao Tofu
Enjoy this delicious & easy Coconut Rice!
