I’m ready!
I’m ready for summer lunches with pink wine and dark sunglasses. ย I’m ready to be almost annoyed by the big, bright sun in my face. ย 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. ย I dunno. ย This rice has cast a spell.
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. ย The heat really brings out the flavors and helps the spices to incorporate beautifully throughout the whole dish.
If rice is the little black summer dress… then these ingredients can definitely be considered beachy sandals, bright scarves, and a classic handbag.
Essentials.
Coconut milk and lime add a big kick of happiness to this rice. ย Big coconut flakes add a toothsome crunch… and cilantro should not be skipped.
With so few ingredients, they all become important.
Toss into steaming basmati rice.
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.
This dish is totally a rice for all seasons. ย 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! ย Toasted coconut, crab and fresh cilantro!? ย These are summer flavors in early spring. ย I can feel it! ย It’s totally almost time to bust out the short skirts and tank tops. ย We’re close! ย We’re so so close!
Coconut Crab Rice
recipe adapted from Very Fond of Food
serves 4
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. ย Fluff and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. ย Add yellow onion and cook until translucent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. ย Add pepper, garlic, coriander, and cumin, and cook for another 2 minute. ย Add coconut milk and scrape the bottom of the pan to bring up any cooked bits of flavor. ย Reduce heat to low and add the rice and stir to coat rice in coconut milk. ย Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. ย Sprinkle the rice with scallions, crab meat, toasted coconut, lime zest and juice, and fresh cilantro. ย Toss all of these toppings into the rice and cook until the the mixture is well incorporated and the coconut milk is absorbed. ย To serve, top rice with more toasted coconut and spicy chili sauce. ย Rice dish is also delicious when served with a fried egg on top.
69 Responses
This recipe sounds delicious! I love coconut! Thanks for posting, I can’t wait to try it out!
xo Kayla
Yummy! I can’t wait to try this!
I’m ready for Summer and this rice dish too.
Wow, that looks divine, especially as swapping the meat would give it a few different flavours.
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.
This looks so delicious. I will definitely start following you, this is amazing.
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!
I`ve tried this recipe and i`m really impressed, it has a very good taste. My both child tried it and they like it a lot. Thanks a lot for sharing.
this dish looks PHENOMENAL! The coconut, the cilantro, the egg, the crab. Ohhhh my goodness!
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. :)
This recipe looks great! Will definitely try this..
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.