The short answer
Coconut rice is a much loved dish across Africa and the Caribbean in which rice is cooked in coconut milk instead of, or as well as, water, giving it a rich, creamy, fragrant flavour. It comes in different styles: Nigerian coconut rice is usually savoury and spiced, cooked with coconut milk, tomatoes, peppers, onions and seasonings for a flavourful one-pot, while Caribbean coconut rice is often cooked with coconut milk and sometimes beans, thyme and spice. Comforting, aromatic, and versatile, coconut rice is a favourite for family meals and parties. In the UK the ingredients are sold by African, Caribbean and world food shops and supermarkets.
What to remember
- Coconut rice is rice cooked in coconut milk, giving a rich, creamy, fragrant flavour.
- Nigerian coconut rice is savoury and spiced, with coconut milk, tomatoes and peppers.
- Caribbean coconut rice is cooked with coconut milk, and sometimes beans, thyme and spice.
- It is a comforting, aromatic one-pot loved for family meals and parties.
- The ingredients are sold by African, Caribbean and world food shops in the UK.
For Nigerian and Caribbean families in Britain, coconut rice is a fragrant taste of home. It is the spiced coconut rice at the Nigerian party, the coconut rice and peas of Caribbean Sunday dinner, the rich, creamy grains that say celebration and family and home, and the aroma of coconut filling the kitchen. Cooking coconut rice far from home brings back family meals and gatherings and the comforting fragrance of rice cooked in coconut, the warmth of home in every rich, fragrant spoonful.
There is real heritage in it too, in a dish so loved across Africa and the Caribbean, each with its own beloved version. It reflects a whole culture of fragrant, comforting home cooking, and to make coconut rice is to keep that alive. Cooking coconut rice for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to their first fragrant plate, is a small act of welcome. That rich, fragrant taste of home is the quiet gift of coconut rice.
What is Coconut Rice?
Coconut rice is a simple idea with delicious results: rice cooked in coconut milk so that the grains soak up the rich, creamy, subtly sweet flavour and lovely fragrance of coconut. It is enjoyed across West Africa, the Caribbean, and far beyond into Asia and South America, and while the details differ from place to place, the heart of it is always rice made fragrant and rich with coconut. It is comforting, aromatic and satisfying, and it turns a plain staple into something special.
In Nigeria, coconut rice is a much loved savoury, spiced one-pot dish, and in the Caribbean it is a beloved side and staple, so there is more than one way to enjoy it. It is a favourite for family dinners, Sunday meals and parties alike, dressed up or kept simple. Coconut rice belongs to the world of African and Caribbean rice dishes we cover in our guides to Nigerian food and Caribbean food, a fragrant, comforting way with rice loved on both sides of the Atlantic.
Nigerian Coconut Rice
Nigerian coconut rice is a savoury, spiced one-pot dish, a flavourful cousin of jollof rice made rich with coconut. The rice is cooked in coconut milk along with a base of blended or chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions, with seasonings, spices and often Scotch bonnet for heat, sometimes with vegetables, so the finished rice is fragrant, colourful and full of flavour. Some cooks make it as rich and red as jollof, others keep it paler and let the coconut shine; either way, it is a crowd-pleaser.
It is a popular party and celebration dish as well as a family favourite, served on its own or with fried plantain, chicken, fish, moi-moi or a salad. Because it is a one-pot that carries so much flavour, it is satisfying and convenient, and many people love it as a change from jollof or fried rice. This is general food information rather than dietary advice. Fragrant, spiced and comforting, Nigerian coconut rice is a delicious way to enjoy a beloved staple.
Caribbean Coconut Rice
In the Caribbean, coconut rice is a treasured staple and side, cooked with coconut milk for richness and fragrance and often flavoured with thyme, spring onion, garlic and a little spice. The most famous relative is Caribbean rice and peas, where rice is cooked in coconut milk with kidney beans or gungo peas, thyme and scotch bonnet, a Sunday-dinner classic, and plain coconut rice without the beans is loved too as a fragrant side. The coconut gives the rice a gentle sweetness and richness that pairs beautifully with savoury, spicy dishes.
Caribbean coconut rice is served alongside stews, curries, jerk and stewed meats and fish, soaking up sauces and balancing bold, spicy flavours. It is comforting, everyday food and celebration food at once. This is general food information rather than dietary advice. Whether as part of rice and peas or as a simple fragrant side, Caribbean coconut rice is a much loved staple, and you can read more in our guide to rice and peas.
Where can I Buy the ingredients in UK?
Making coconut rice at home in Britain is easy, as the ingredients are widely available. African, Caribbean and world food shops and supermarkets all sell coconut milk in tins and cartons, along with rice, and the tomatoes, peppers, onions, thyme, scotch bonnet and seasonings for both the Nigerian and Caribbean styles. For the Nigerian version, an African food shop can point you to the right peppers and seasonings, and for rice and peas, to the kidney or gungo peas and thyme.
If you want to make coconut rice, an African or Caribbean food shop can help with everything you need. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, where coconut milk and the rest are familiar items. Cooked in fragrant coconut milk, whether spiced Nigerian style or Caribbean style with thyme and peas, coconut rice brings a rich, comforting taste of home to your table.
Frequently asked questions
What is coconut rice?
Coconut rice is a much loved dish across Africa and the Caribbean in which rice is cooked in coconut milk instead of, or as well as, water, giving it a rich, creamy, fragrant flavour. Nigerian coconut rice is usually savoury and spiced with tomatoes and peppers, while Caribbean coconut rice is cooked with coconut milk and sometimes beans, thyme and spice. It is a comforting, aromatic favourite.
How is Nigerian coconut rice made?
Nigerian coconut rice is a savoury, spiced one-pot dish. The rice is cooked in coconut milk along with a base of blended or chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions, with seasonings, spices and often Scotch bonnet for heat, and sometimes vegetables. The result is fragrant, colourful and full of flavour, a coconut-rich cousin of jollof rice, served with plantain, chicken, fish or a salad.
What is Caribbean coconut rice?
Caribbean coconut rice is rice cooked in coconut milk for richness and fragrance, often with thyme, spring onion, garlic and a little spice. Its most famous form is rice and peas, where the rice is cooked in coconut milk with kidney beans or gungo peas, thyme and scotch bonnet. Plain coconut rice without the beans is also loved as a fragrant side for stews, curries and jerk.
What do you eat with coconut rice?
Coconut rice is served with all sorts of savoury dishes. Nigerian coconut rice goes with fried plantain, chicken, fish, moi-moi or salad, while Caribbean coconut rice and rice and peas are served with stews, curries, jerk and stewed meats and fish. The gentle sweetness and richness of the coconut balance bold, spicy and savoury flavours beautifully.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
The ingredients for coconut rice, coconut milk, rice, tomatoes, peppers, onions, thyme, scotch bonnet, seasonings and kidney or gungo peas for rice and peas are sold by African, Caribbean and world food shops and supermarkets. An African or Caribbean food shop can point you to the right peppers, seasonings and peas for either the Nigerian or Caribbean style. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.
