A well-respected local newspaper called and asked, “Would you be willing to be part of a food feature? We’ll follow you while you shop and cook, and we’d like one of five chefs to create a dish, write a recipe, and be ready tomorrow.”
My immediate reaction: Wow—me? Absolutely.
I decided to keep things simple and let fresh, seasonal ingredients speak for themselves. I planned a dish of Seared Sea Scallops with Mango Melon Salsa and Coconut Rice. Not complicated, approachable, and something a home cook can assemble in a short time. I was confident I could pull it together in about 30 minutes.
There was one hitch: I am used to a rice cooker. After years of using the automatic, push-button method, I had never practiced making jasmine rice on the stovetop. The measurements, the timing, and the technique are different. I hadn’t ventured outside the one-touch comfort of the rice cooker.
In short, I was a little spoiled—and I paid for it. I undercooked the rice during the shoot. Watching the food critic, Brian Ries, try the rice was mortifying. He was polite and professional, but I could see the discomfort. He took notes, and I’m certain one of them read, “Don’t call her again.”
As a Chinese cook, messing up rice felt like an unforgivable sin. After the shoot I was determined to redeem myself. The scallops had been perfectly seared and the salsa bright and refreshing, which helped. Still, I went straight home to prove I could make proper coconut jasmine rice the old-fashioned way—on the stovetop.
Perfectly Cooked Coconut Jasmine Rice without a Rice Cooker
4 – 6 as a side dish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
- 2 cups jasmine rice, washed and drained well
- 1 1/2 cups good, thick coconut milk (shake can to mix well before opening)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the brown sugar and salt, stirring until dissolved. Increase the heat to high, add the jasmine rice, and stir until every grain is evenly coated with the butter and sugar mixture.
- Pour in the coconut milk and water, and give everything a good stir. Bring the pot to a rapid simmer. As soon as it reaches a boil, cover it with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer undisturbed for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the pot from the heat but keep the lid on—do not open it. Let the rice steam in the closed pot for 10 minutes; this resting period finishes the cooking and makes the rice fluffy.
- While the rice rests, toast the coconut flakes in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent burning and remove the flakes from the pan as soon as they turn golden brown, which usually takes about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the finished rice before serving.
Cooking rice on the stovetop takes a little attention, but it gives you control: you can adjust texture, flavor, and richness. Using butter and brown sugar to coat the grains before adding coconut milk adds a subtle toasted flavor and helps keep the rice tender and separate. Letting the rice rest under the lid is essential—resist the urge to peek.
If you want to serve this coconut jasmine rice with seared scallops, spoon a bed of warm rice on the plate, top it with a few perfectly seared scallops, and finish with a bright mango-melon salsa for a contrast of creamy, savory, and fresh. The toasted coconut adds a pleasant crunch and reinforces the tropical note. Simple technique, fresh ingredients, and a little respect for the rice will produce a dish any home cook can be proud of.