Easy Coconut Rice

It’s January.  The beginning of a new year…and the beginning of the toughest two months of weather here in midwest.  January and February are loooong and coooold, and the only thing that gets me through this time of year is the thought that March isn’t too far off, because March means spring is coming! Til then, I need dishes like this Easy Coconut Rice to remind me of a warm, tropical vacation.

I made this rice for the first time a few months ago to have on the side of some fish we were having for dinner. It was SO good. Slightly sweet and somehow, almost buttery…even though there’s no butter in the recipe.  It has a light coconut flavor, which gives it just enough oomph to stand on it’s own as a side dish.

The key here is using the correct rice…jasmine rice.  I tried this recipe with brown rice (always trying to get in some whole grains when I can), but it was a gooey mess that took twice as long as it should’ve to cook.  I also tried long grain white rice, and while the flavor was great and would be a good second choice for rice in a pinch, it was a little too gummy for my taste.

The winner…jasmine rice.  Jasmine rice is also a long-grain rice, but it has a floral scent and in my opinion, cooks up better than plain ol’ long grain white rice.  When cooked, it’s soft, but the grains don’t clump together as much, giving you a lighter, fluffier rice.  I use it almost exclusively when I cook with white rice.

And remember that Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Curry earlier this week?  It’s divine with this Easy Coconut Rice.

I can almost feel that warm, tropical breeze…through my thick sweater and winter coat and scarf and…

Little Hands Can…

• Measure and pour the coconut milk, water, salt and honey into the pot
• Measure the rice
• Fluff the rice with a spoon or fork once it’s cooked

On the Side

In the same way we explored the letter A and the letter C, we’re focusing on the letter R with this Easy Coconut Rice recipe.  Repeat the word rice, rice, rice (emphasizing that /r/ sound at the beginning of the word).  What sound do you hear at the beginning of the word rice?

First, review the alphabet with your child.  If you have a visual alphabet, show them the letters as you say the alphabet aloud. What sound does the letter “r” say?  “R” says /r/ (like in the word “rat” or “rug”). Here are some activities you can do to explore the letter “r” and it’s sound:

• Brainstorm other food words that begin with the letter “r”: raisins, radish, ravioli, recipe, risotto, etc.
• Brainstorm other non-food words that begin with the letter “r”: rope, rabbit, run, road, etc.  Write them down and see how many you can name!
• Provide a multi-sensory experience with the letter “r”.  Draw the letter R (big R and/or little r) on a piece of paper. Use some glue to “paint” the letter.  Then invite your child to sprinkle dried (uncooked) rice on top of the glue to fill in the letter R (a sheet pan helps contain the mess!).  You could also use other items that start with “r” to build your letter, such as raisins, rocks, things that are red (colored pencil, paint, marker or crayon), etc.  With an activity like this, you’re giving your child a real-world connection to the letter “r” and the sound it makes.

The letter “r” is also a consonant, just like the letter “c”. Older children might be ready to talk about the difference between consonants and vowels. What exactly is a consonant? A consonant is any letter that is not a vowel.  Can you make a word that starts with “r” using each of the vowels?

Disclaimer: As with all of our recipes, my suggestions for how kids can help with a particular recipe are based on what has worked in our kitchen.  Your child may be able to help more or less based on their age and/or ability. As always, make sure you are properly supervising kids in the kitchen.