Ingredients
Coconut
- 800 mlthick coconut milk, from 2 fresh coconuts if possible
- 400 mlthin coconut milk or water
Rice
- 500 glong-grain white rice
Also
- 80 gsugar or panela
- 1 tspsalt
- 80 graisins, optional
Equipment
- a heavy pot with a good lid
To serve
- with fried fish and patacones
- on the Caribbean coast
Directions
- Pour the thick coconut milk into a heavy pot and bring it to a simmer. Cook it over a medium heat, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Keep stirring once it starts to separate, since from that point it catches quickly. Cook the solids until they are a deep golden brown, the colour of dark toffee. Take it far enough. Stopped too early it is pale and the rice will be bland, and this is the commonest fault.
- Stir it for a minute so every grain is coated in the coconut oil. Coating the rice in the oil before liquid goes in is what keeps the grains separate, in the same way as a pilaf.
- Use slightly less liquid than you would for plain rice, roughly one and a half times the volume of rice. The titoté already contains fat and the rice absorbs differently, and too much liquid gives a heavy claggy result.
- Add the raisins now if you are using them. Bring it to a boil and let it cook uncovered until the liquid drops to the level of the rice. Cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. Now let it rest off the heat for 10 minutes, still covered.
- Lift and fold rather than stirring, which breaks the grains. It should be a deep golden brown, with separate glossy grains, and taste sweet, savoury and strongly of toasted coconut.
- Serve it hot with fried whole fish, patacones and a slice of lime. It keeps two days and reheats well, covered, with a splash of water.
Technique
- Titoté, the caramelised coconut solids, is what makes the dish.
- It is the standard accompaniment to fried fish on the Caribbean coast.
- Fresh coconut milk gives a noticeably better titoté than tinned.
Substitutions
- Tinned coconut milk, using the thick part from the top of the tin.
- Panela in place of sugar.
Variations
- With raisins, which is very common.
- Made less sweet, as a plainer side.
- With coconut flesh grated through it.
History
Afro-Antillean cooking of Bocas del Toro and Colón, brought by West Indian workers who built the canal.
Frequently asked questions
What is Arroz con coco?
Arroz con coco is a salad & side from Colombia: caribbean sweet-savory caramelized coconut rice, served alongside fried fish. Afro-Antillean cooking of Bocas del Toro and Colón, brought by West Indian workers who built the canal.
How long does Arroz con coco take to make?
Arroz con coco takes 15 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Arroz con coco?
Yes, within limits. Tinned coconut milk, using the thick part from the top of the tin. Panela in place of sugar.
What is the most important thing to get right in Arroz con coco?
Lift and fold rather than stirring, which breaks the grains. It should be a deep golden brown, with separate glossy grains, and taste sweet, savoury and strongly of toasted coconut.
