Joy the Baker

Coconut Crab Rice

by 69 Comments

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I’m ready!

I’m ready for summer lunches with pink wine and dark sunglasses.  I’m ready to be almost annoyed by the big, bright sun in my face.  My love affair with Spring always makes me think of my absolute love-obsession with Summer.

This tropical rice dish totally has me ready to go sandal shopping and wear tie dye.

Perhaps I’m also considering a henna tattoo.   I dunno.  This rice has cast a spell.

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Rice begins in this fashion… with onion and garlic, fresh green onions, a spicy red pepper, and a mixture of cumin and coriander.

The cumin and coriander get sauteed with the onions, garlic, and pepper.  The heat really brings out the flavors and helps the spices to incorporate beautifully throughout the whole dish.

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If rice is the little black summer dress… then these ingredients can definitely be considered beachy sandals, bright scarves, and a classic handbag.

Essentials.

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Coconut milk and lime add a big kick of happiness to this rice.  Big coconut flakes add a toothsome crunch… and cilantro should not be skipped.

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With so few ingredients, they all become important.

Toss into steaming basmati rice.

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Crab meat feels like such a luxury.

Crab makes this rice dish feel like an indulgent summer vacation.

If you don’t have crab meat on hand, you can certainly add cooked shrimp, marinated and cooked chicken, even a fried tofu in peanut sauce.

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This dish is totally a rice for all seasons.  Top it with a small handful of extra toasted coconut for an awesome supper… or throw on a fried egg and call it breakfast.

It’s delicious!  Toasted coconut, crab and fresh cilantro!?  These are summer flavors in early spring.  I can feel it!  It’s totally almost time to bust out the short skirts and tank tops.  We’re close!  We’re so so close!

Coconut Crab Rice

recipe adapted from Very Fond of Food

serves 4

Print this Recipe!

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 cup coconut milk

6 cups cooked basmati rice

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1 cup cooked crab meat

1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut, plus more for topping

zest and juice of 1 lime

small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook rice according to the package instructions.  Fluff and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add yellow onion and cook until translucent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add pepper, garlic, coriander, and cumin, and cook for another 2 minute.  Add coconut milk and scrape the bottom of the pan to bring up any cooked bits of flavor.  Reduce heat to low and add the rice and stir to coat rice in coconut milk.  Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.  Sprinkle the rice with scallions, crab meat, toasted coconut, lime zest and juice, and fresh cilantro.  Toss all of these toppings into the rice and cook until the the mixture is well incorporated and the coconut milk is absorbed.  To serve, top rice with more toasted coconut and spicy chili sauce.  Rice dish is also delicious when served with a fried egg on top.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dana

    Thank you for this amazing recipe! I’ll make it for my husband. Rice and cribe – incredible combination. Oh, I will use my Aroma ARC-753SG Rice Cooker for this recipe.

    Reply

  3. Pastrychef23

    Wow. I just made this as a mid-course for my mama for Mother’s Day. Did I already say wow? ‘Cause – WOW! What a fantastic dish!!! I should have skipped the first course and entree and just served this. Ah-maz-ing. I gave mom the leftovers to take home (which is oh-so-daugherly of me), but I would have loved it with an egg this morning for breakfast. And if fresh dungeness crab weren’t like $25 a pound, I’d make it again tonight!!! Love you joy, and all the joy you bring us. :)

    Reply

  6. Erin

    I made this to take for lunch this week. I used frozen shrimp instead of crab and black rice (it was new and I couldn’t wait to use it in something)… SO GOOD! The flavor combinations are awesome, and I found it surprisingly simple to prepare too. I can vouch that it is amazing topped with your favorite hot sauce, a fried egg, or both :D

    You rock, Joy!

    Reply

  8. Sunshine

    I just made this and yummmmm….. It was as good as you imagined it would be. I didn’t have any small red chilies but substituted some crushed red pepper and a mini sweet red pepper. I can’t get the big flake coconut in my town but I had some shredded unsweetened on hand and while it didn’t produce that nice crunch I imagined with the flaked stuff it served it’s purpose just fine (and soaked up the extra lime juice I put on top beautifully). With six cups of rice this makes quite a bit and would work well for a pot luck or a party. I’d love to try this with some sort of tofu or other protein to make it for my vegan friends but I’m not sure how I would flavor the tofu for this dish since I don’t cook much with Thai inspired flavors. Any suggestions? Maybe I could saturate the tofu in chili-garlic sauce.

    Reply

  17. Darcee

    Looks divine, I’ll be trying it with tofu. Thanks!!

    And also, I am in love with your cookbook. So are my kids:) Good job, it’s beautifully done.

    Reply

  23. Kocinera

    I love the way you’re describing this rice! I love nothing more than bright, tropical colors and strappy summer sandals, so I’m completely won over. Not to mention that it looks delicious!

    Reply

  25. Sarah

    Mmm, I can smell the pineapple and coconut right now. Being of Indian heritage, we do get henna “tattoos”, but only for weddings and other special times. It’s super fun to make designs!

    Reply

  26. Sue

    Those not able to find red chilis might try sriricha sauce. I have food allergies so I’m used to substituting like mad. So it won’t be exactly the same as your wonderful dish–who cares. Your dish still will be the inspiration! Thanks for inspiring my cooking, Joy!

    Reply

  27. thelittleloaf

    It’s all about sunshine, salads and summer from here on in! (plus the odd brownie, maybe a cookie or two, a slice of cake and a handful of fries…because it’d be rude not to…)

    Reply

  29. Emily

    I am so jealous of your big coconut flakes. I have never seen them in a store before, but I saw your link to them on amazon once. I’ll have to order them as I think they create a really fabulous and unexpected visual effect.

    Reply

  30. lidia

    this looks divine!
    I can never find those red chilis for some reason,
    one time I spent seriously all morning looking for them,
    tried all asian markets and nothing!

    Reply

  32. Louisa

    That looks delicious! I’m definitely going to make it for dinner this week, although I think I will substitute cooked shrimp for the crabmeat. Totally with you on looking forward to summer…in Scotland we had a few days of glorious weather two weeks ago but now it’s cold again! But I think that this meal paired with a few glasses of rosé will put me back in a summery mood :)

    Reply

  43. Suzanne

    The rice looks delish! (Without the nasty cilantro, thanks anyway.) But why are you people trying to sic summer on me already? Do you not know the putrid, miserable awfulness that is summer in Florida? Be merciful and let me enjoy a little Spring. :)

    Reply

    • krystal

      Suzanne – Amen! We’ve had a few days in Central Florida that have me complaining and it isn’t even really fully hot yet! I’m a native Floridian and I loathe the summer here. You do not, in fact, get “used to it.”

      Joy – This rice looks amazing. I’m gonna take the peanut sauced tofu route!

      Reply

  45. Megan

    Joy –
    This is like a little mini admiration letter to you. I’d requested a copy of your cookbook from my local library and waited, and waited. Yesterday it showed up to my ecstatic glee and I want to cook everything and all at once! Tonight in a bind for dinner, and needing to go to the store – I whipped up a batch of your potato zuchinni pancakes. Yes, they were amazing. Yes, they did hit the spot.

    I’ve been following your blog for a while – and it’s just so lovely. Happy to see you’re doing so well. Keep with it!!

    Reply

  47. Kara

    This is a fanastic dish. It has a magical twist that you cannot resist. Thank you Joy! For your creative mind and strong spirit. You make my world a little better.

    Reply

  48. Jenna

    I would LOVE to make this; unfortunately, I’ve developed a shellfish allergy in the past few years! (sad face!)

    I still enjoyed the balance in your photos though. This might not satiate my palate, but it’s still chock-full of aesthetic value!

    Reply

  49. Margarita

    Crab is a luxury especially when it’s hard to come by fresh ones. Makes me wish to be back in tropical Philippines. This dish looks absolutely delicious and I will settle for frozen crab just to have this. It’s a totally complete meal and doesnt need to be eaten with anything else, except for maybe a fruity drink on the side.

    Reply

  55. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    Coconut milk (or flakes) makes just about everything seem much more tropical or vacation-ey. Same with lime and cilantro. Hope the weather is better up in L.A. than it is in San Diego. It’s miserable here the past couple days and I could use all the signs of summer possible!

    Reply

  56. Grace

    For a second i thought this recipe actually included a coconut crab, i.e. the scariest crustacean of them all lol. google image search one if you dare….

    Reply

  58. Marine

    This is such a wonderful summery recipe. I am so ready for summer…it was warm here a couple weeks ago and I was the happiest person. I live in Brussels and have been desperately looking for crab, but in the meantime, I’m going to have to make it with chicken…
    Also, I just ordered your cookbook and I cannot wait until it arrives!!!

    Reply

  61. Rebecca @ Sink Or Swim

    Wow, my husband would absolutely love this. Crab and rice, two of his favorite things!

    I am ready for summer, too… I’ve already been busting out my sandals even though it is still a bit too cool and my feet need serious help!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  3. […] was so busy for me because after work, I whipped up a crab and coconut rice dish (shout out to Joy the Baker) before rushing out to my very first Rockin’ on the River! Each week there is a band or two […]

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