West African Coconut Rice

Coconut Rice – A savory side dish made with rice, cooked in aromatic coconut milk. It is so rich, luscious and bursting with aromatic coconut flavors. You will be surprised that a Rice recipe this simple has so much flavor. 

How to make Coconut Rice

It’s not an exaggeration to say that rice is eaten at least two to three times a week in an average Nigerian home. We make rice recipes like jollof rice, fried rice, rice and beans, native jollof rice, and many more rice recipes. we eat rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sometimes for snacks.

Rice is hands down my favorite grain because:

• It’s very versatile. It pairs so well with fish, chicken, meat, or vegetables
• I grew up eating rice, so I’m conditioned to eating it.
• I can’t resist it

Coconut rice is a staple in most Nigerian homes. However, the way we make it differ from home to home. I have adapted my moms’ delicious recipe and as usual, I added my own spin by using the chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken. The broth from the dark meat of the chicken adds more flavor to the coconut rice. (You can remove the skin on the thighs to economize on the fat). 

I also used crayfish in my own recipe. Just a small amount of crayfish adds a rich flavor to the rice. If you don’t have crayfish, don’t let that stop you from making this recipe. You can skip it.

Not only is this coconut rice delicious, but it can also be addictive. It also has quite a kick from the habaneros. Not to worry, the heat can easily be controlled by using less habaneros or simply remove the seeds. This will reduce the heat level. Jalapenos can also be used in place of habaneros.

 I always love to use the full-fat coconut milk in my coconut rice for that rich coconutty flavor but I’m aware some people like it light; so feel free to use the light coconut milk for a milder coconut flavor but the real thing is so much better! and if you really want to go coco-NUTS, you can garnish lightly with toasted coconut flakes!!

Notes

• Be sure to rinse the rice before cooking it. This will reduce the starch content in the rice a bit.
• Cook the rice on a low simmer to prevent it from burning
• The can coconut milk works best for this recipe not the ones in the cold milk section.
• For this recipe, I used basmati rice, however, you can use any type of rice you like but note that cooking time varies for different types of rice.

[su_box title=”Other rice recipes you might want to try:” box_color=”#273B56″]

• Nigerian Jollof Rice
• Oven-baked Nigerian Jollof Rice
• Fried rice
• Rice and Beans
• Native Jollof rice

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**This coconut Rice recipe can easily be divided to serve a lesser number of people and can also be doubled to serve a larger group. Happy cooking!

Coconut Rice (African style)

A savory side dish made with rice, cooked in aromatic coconut milk. It is so rich, luscious and bursting with aromatic coconut flavors. You will be surprised that a Rice recipe this simple has so much flavor.

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: African

Keyword: coconut rice, homemade, rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 5 People

Calories: 726kcal

Author: Lola Osinkolu

Ingredients

Ingredients For the Chicken

• 1.5 pounds Chicken quarters cut into small bite size
• 2 scotch bonnets Ata Rodo
• 1 Tsp Thyme
• 1 Tsp Curry powder
• 1 Seasoning Cube
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Onion Diced

Ingredients For The Rice

• 3 Cups Rice
• 2 Cups Coconut Milk
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock From the Boiled Chicken
• 1 cup Green bell pepper diced. orange, yellow or Red Bell peppers can also be used.
• 2 Tablespoons crayfish optional
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or any other cooking Oil
• 1/2 lb Shrimps Optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cut the chicken into small portions, rinse them and put them inside the Pot.
• Season with salt, stock cube, thyme, curry powder. Add the Onions and Habanero pepper and Bay leaf. Stir, cover, and cook for 15 minutes then separate the chicken from the stock and set aside.
• In a clean pot preheat the coconut oil, add the onion and stir fry till the onions become translucent. (about 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat). Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, crayfish, and habanero peppers and let it come to a boil.
• Add the washed and drained rice and leave to cook for 15 minutes. Quickly throw in the shrimps, green bell peppers, and chicken. Cover it up immediately and let it cook on a low heat for 10 more minutes.
• Turn off the heat and leave to steam for 5 minutes before opening the lid. Stir together. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

 

• Be sure to rinse the rice before cooking it. This will reduce the starch content in the rice a bit.
• Cook the rice on a low simmer to prevent it from burning
• The can coconut milk works best for this recipe not the ones in the cold milk section.
• For this recipe, I used basmati rice, however, you can use any type of rice you like but note that cooking time varies for different types of rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 726kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 7.7mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1.9mg

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If you make this Coconut Rice, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Instagram or Facebook. #cheflolaskitchen