Coconut Brown Rice

Here is the Coconut  Brown Rice served with Spicy Buddha Bowl

Recipe by Gluten-Free Girl

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 8 servings

The directions here are for a rice cooker. That’s how I cook our rice now. I haven’t made a pot of rice on the stove in ages. If you would like to make this on the stove, then use whatever method you traditionally use or buy a rice cooker**.

2 cups brown basmati rice
½ can (7 ounces) coconut milk 
Juice of 1 medium-sized lime 
2 Tablespoons coconut oil 
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon powdered ginger 
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ½ cups water (for cooking) 

Soak the rice in 4 cups of cool, fresh water. Let it sit for at least 1 hour, preferably longer, if you can. This helps to remove some of the starchiness from the rice. Pour the rice into a large strainer, draining out all the water.  (You can also just place the rice in a fine strainer and place the strainer in a bowl of water.  Swirl it around with your fingers and then drain.  Repeat this process by adding water to the bowl and swirling until the water is clear and not murky with the starch from the rice.  Then the rice is ready for cooking.)

Pour the soaked or rinsed rice into the rice cooker. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, coconut oil, curry powder, ginger, salt, and pepper. Stir it all well. Add 3 ½ cups cool, fresh water. Stir it all up. Close the lid. Turn the rice cooker to the brown rice setting, and then turn it on.

When the rice cooker says it is done cooking, you may eat.

**When I retired 9 years ago, I bought a 10-cup Zojirushi Rice Cooker as a present to myself.  I have to say it was a great gift!  It was expensive, but I use it several times a week and it’s one of the appliances I would not give up easily!  It cooks rice and other grains (millet, wheat berries, etc.…) perfectly and keeps them warm for up to 2 hours.  You just measure the ingredients and hit the button and then you can focus your time and energy on other dishes (or pursuits.) If you decide to buy a rice cooker, I would highly recommend the book The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufman.  All the recipes I’ve tested from their book have turned out great!

*Another reviewer of this recipe made this suggestion:  Try making a similar version of this dish by using brown basmati rice, coconut milk, diced jalapeno, turmeric, ginger, onion and garlic.