Jazz up your rice with this easy recipe for coconut rice pilaf, filled with peas and peanuts and creamy coconut flavor. A great side dish!
There is something about saying the words rice pilaf that instantly makes suppertime sound all kinds of elegant…and when you add the word coconut to the mix, as in Oh, I think I will make some coconut rice pilaf for dinner tonight, well, things start sounding downright decadent.
And things kind of are decadent, because coconut rice pilaf means you are going to be cooking up your rice in a mixture of coconut milk and chicken broth and mixing it up with tender sweet peas and salty chopped peanuts and peppery scallions and PLEASE PASS THE COCONUT RICE PILAF RIGHT NOW. Right?? Let’s make it!
Rice pilaf is actually all kinds of simple to make, despite the fanciness it conjures up. It basically refers to rice that is simmered up in a flavored broth, and most of the time there are other delicious things mixed in, as in the Rice Pilaf with Cherries and Pistachios on my friend David‘s site, and whenever I make any kind of rice pilaf I wonder why I ever would make plain rice, ever ever ever.
And that counts double for coconut rice pilaf, because as wonderful as rice tastes when it is cooked in chicken broth, when you add creamy, dreamy coconut milk to the mix…well, just wrap your mind around the idea of rice absorbing some delectable coconut flavor as it cooks. The scallions and peanuts are going to give the pilaf a whole sweet and salty vibe with just a little bite, and the peas are going to add a little tender bit of green to the whole thing.
Depending on what I have on hand, I will sometimes stir in a handful of flaked coconut (which will make it a wee bit sweeter) or a couple of shakes of hot sauce (which will make it a wee bit sassier)…or both. This goes perfectly with a nice grilled steak, and if you want to make it a one bowl meal, stir in some sliced chicken or poached shrimp.
I’m telling you…rice pilaf. MAGIC.
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Coconut Rice Pilaf
Prep Time: 5 minutes- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup rice
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup salted peanuts
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1/4 cup flaked coconut (optional)
- 1 few shakes of hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Bring coconut milk and broth to a simmer and stir in rice and sugar. Cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Add additional coconut milk as needed.
- Stir in peas, scallions and peanuts. Add coconut and/or hot sauce if you like. Serve at once.
Ohh yum! I’ve never actually made coconut rice but this sounds like a must-try. Love the addition of the peanuts!
Peanuts and coconut just seem made for each other, right?
I love rice pilaf, but I hardly ever make it. However, a version with coconut will definitely be making an appearance at my dinner table very soon ;)
Coconut does put a whole new spin on things, right?
I agree, rice pilaf just sounds so fancy, even though its so easy to make! This coconut version looks so pretty, Kate! What a great dish to impress hungry house guests with!
Just don’t tell them how easy it is, right? :)
Pilaf does sound fancy, doesn’t it. SO much better than just saying, “oh we are having rice on the side”. Loving this pilaf, Kate!! The flavors you used in here sounds amazing!! Plus anything coconut totally makes me swoon! Love the pops of peas, peanuts and scallions! Simply delicious, my dear! Cheers – to a beautiful day, dear! xo
Yes, and fancy is proven to be 150% more delicious than plain! xoxo!
Coconut rice sounds absolutely scrumptious right now! Love that you included a good dose of coconut milk. Okay, off to drool and dream about this… ;) Happy Monday Kate!
Drool and dream…that could be my motto! :)
I love rice pilaf and I love peanuts, so this is heaven. Any grain cooked in broth is so much better than cooking in water! Looks amazing, too!
I don’t think I could ever cook rice in plain old water again…happy sigh for pilaf!
I just made rice wih coconut milk too. Isn’t that flavor wonderful?
This rice pilaf is so tempting! And the peanuts and scallions sound so delicious!
I think I could cook everything with coconut milk and be perfectly, perfectly happy. :)
i hate the texture of rice, so the idea of adding some nuts is a good one in my mind! i enjoy coconut too, so this might be the very first batch of rice i like!
I’m betting it IS! :)