Coconut rice

Rinse long-grain rice until the water runs nearly clear, then simmer it with coconut milk, water and a pinch of salt. Use the liquid quantity given for your rice, partly cover the pan and cook gently until tender; leave it covered off the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Yes. Put rinsed rice, coconut milk, water and salt in the cooker, keeping the total liquid to the amount you normally use for that rice. Stir before cooking, as coconut milk can settle, and fluff the rice as soon as the cycle finishes.

Use a heavy-based pan and a low simmer: coconut milk’s fat and sugars can catch on the bottom. Stir once after bringing it to a simmer, then keep the lid on; if it starts to catch, move the pan off the heat rather than scraping the browned layer through the rice.

Its gentle sweetness works especially well with chilli, lime, ginger and fresh herbs. Serve it with a spicy curry, grilled fish, prawns or roasted vegetables; toasted coconut, spring onions or chopped coriander make easy toppings.

Cool it promptly, ideally within 1–2 hours, and refrigerate it in a covered container. Eat it within 24 hours; reheat only once until steaming hot throughout, adding a splash of water if it has dried out.

Yes. Freeze it in small, airtight portions as soon as it has cooled, and use it within about a month for the best texture. Defrost it in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot throughout, or reheat from frozen with a little water.

Not necessarily: the names can describe very similar dishes, but coconut rice usually means rice cooked with coconut milk or coconut cream. Rice with coconut may instead have grated coconut stirred through, so its texture and richness can differ.