Fast & Easy Coconut Rice made in the Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot. Perfectly cooked rice with the sweet aroma and subtle flavor of coconut milk. This is a great vegan & gluten free side dish to many Asian dishes!
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.
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!
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:
Enjoy this delicious & easy Coconut Rice!
Pressure Cooker Coconut Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Jasmine rice or Basmati rice rinsed
- 1 cup Coconut Milk unsweetened
- ¼ cup Water or Unsalted stock
- ¼ tsp Salt optional, adjust to taste
Garnish Options:
- Black Sesame Seeds
- Spring Onions
- Toasted Coconut flakes
Instructions
- Add the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to the instant pot steel insert.
- Set the instant pot to the "Rice" function. This will default to 12 minutes at low pressure. (4 minutes at high pressure will work too)
- When the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
- Add garnish of your choice and serve warm.
For Pot-in-Pot Coconut Rice:
- Add the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to a steel bowl that will fit in the instant pot insert.
- Add 1 cup water to the instant pot steel insert. Place a trivet and the bowl with the rice on top of the trivet.
- Set the instant pot on high pressure for 5 minutes. (Note: this cooking time works for steel bowl. Add 3-4 minutes if using an oven-safe glass bowl)
- When the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
- Add garnish of your choice and serve warm.
Notes
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Recipe turns out v well - beautiful soft coconut aroma. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Nadia - Glad to hear you enjoyed the coconut rice!
This was delicious, although using a glass bowl after 8 minutes on high pressure and natural pressure release it was rock hard, and needed another 5 minutes. I then added a few tbsp more water and left it warm for a few minutes and it went beautifully sticky.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Rachel. Glad to hear you enjoyed the coconut rice.
I don't have a steel bowl, can I just put the rice in the instant pot
Hi Emily - Yes, I have included instructions for both cooking in the steel insert and pot-in-pot.
Would his coconut rice recipe be possible with brown basmati rice instead of white?
Hi Aliya - Yes, this recipe would work well with brown basmati rice too. You can use the same proportions, just cook on high pressure for 22 minutes.
Although good, I continue to look for a sweet coconut rice as served in Thai restaurants. This wasn't it, unfortunately, since it is not sweet at all.
Hi Paul - Yes, this one is a savory coconut rice recipe. I hope you find what you are looking for 🙂
What would you serve with this?
Hi Laura - This coconut rice goes really well with Thai or Chinese food. However you can also just serve this as a replacement for white rice. Hope you enjoy it!