Coconut fried rice

Ingredients

• 500 gbasmati rice
• 4 tablespoonsoil, ideally coconut oil
• 1onion
• 300 mlcoconut milk
• 300 mlchicken stock
• 300 gchicken breast
• 1 packetprawns
• 1 teaspoonfinely chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoonherbes de Provence
• ½ teaspoondried thyme; fresh thyme is even better
• 5 clovesgarlic
• 1bay leaf
• 2 teaspoonscurry powder
• to tastesalt and pepper
• 2spring onions or chives
• 2 medium, dicedonions
• 2carrots
• to tastepeas
• to tastesweetcorn
• 3 smallpeppers (green, red and yellow)
• ½onion
• 1chilli
• a few sprigsparsley
• 5 clovesgarlic
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• ½ teaspoonsalt
• ¼ teaspoonblack pepper
• ½ teaspoonground paprika

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the chicken seasoning

   Crush the chicken seasonings together and keep 1 tablespoon aside to use later.

2. 2

   Cook the chicken

   Cook the chicken for 10 minutes with about 350 ml water. Once cooked, fry it in a little oil and set aside.

3. 3

   Rinse the rice

   Rinse the rice and leave it to drain.

4. 4

   Fry the aromatics

   Heat 2 tablespoons oil, add 1 diced onion and fry until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme and chopped garlic, then fry for a few seconds.

5. 5

   Toast the rice

   Stir in the rice and curry powder and fry for about 3–5 minutes.

6. 6

   Part-cook the rice

   Add the coconut milk, chicken cooking juices and bay leaf, then season with salt. Part-cook the rice for about 10 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a while before continuing.

7. 7

   Season the prawns

   Season the prawns with paprika, salt and black pepper.

8. 8

   Cook the prawns

   Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan and cook the prawns for 2–3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

9. 9

   Prepare the vegetables

   Chop the onions, peppers and chives, then set them aside.

10. 10

    Fry the vegetables

    In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Add the onions, peppers and carrots and cook for about 7 minutes.

11. 11

    Season the vegetables

    Add the reserved chicken seasoning, peas and sweetcorn. Season again with 1 tablespoon curry powder, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper, then fry for 2 minutes.

12. 12

    Combine the rice

    Add the rice and mix thoroughly so that it is combined with the vegetables.

13. 13

    Finish the dish

    Stir in the spring onion, prawns and chicken, along with another 50 ml chicken cooking liquid. Simmer for about 5–7 minutes, checking that the rice is fully cooked before taking the pan off the heat.

14. 14

    Serve hot

    Serve the rice hot.

What is coconut fried rice?

This is a West African-inspired rice dish in which rice is first cooked with coconut milk and chicken cooking juices, then finished with vegetables, chicken and prawns. Its layered cooking gives the rice savoury flavour as well as a gentle richness from the coconut.

Rice dishes vary across Africa, and this version brings together familiar fried-rice ingredients with curry, herbs and coconut. Part-cooking the rice before adding it to the vegetables helps the flavours meet without requiring the rice to cook entirely in the frying pan.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 950 calories, 39g protein, 115g carbs, 37g fat.

Most of the carbohydrates come from the basmati rice, while coconut milk and cooking oil contribute much of the fat. Chicken and prawns provide most of the protein, with stock, added salt and seasonings contributing sodium. Balance the plate with a generous salad or extra vegetables alongside a moderate serving of rice.

Build flavour into the rice

Aromatics: frying the onion, garlic and thyme before adding the rice gives the grains a flavourful base. Stir the rice through the oil and curry so the seasoning is distributed before adding the liquids.

Cooking liquid: coconut milk and chicken juices provide the rice’s main savoury, creamy character. Keep the reserved chicken liquid to finish the pan, as directed.

Keep the chicken and prawns tender

Chicken: cook it in water first, then fry it briefly and set it aside. Adding it back near the end helps it warm through without spending the whole cooking time in the pan.

Prawns: cook them separately for 2–3 minutes on each side and remove them as soon as they are cooked. Returning them only for the final simmer helps prevent them becoming tough.

Get the rice texture right

Drain well: after rinsing, let the rice drain so excess water does not dilute the coconut milk and chicken juices.

Check doneness: the recipe calls for about 10 minutes of part-cooking, followed by a 5–7-minute simmer with the other ingredients. Taste a grain before serving; if it is still firm, continue cooking until tender.

Cook the vegetables in stages

First batch: give the onions, peppers and carrots about 7 minutes in the pan so they begin to soften.

Final additions: peas, sweetcorn and the reserved seasoning go in for 2 minutes before the rice is added. This order lets the firmer vegetables cook first while the smaller additions keep their shape.

Plan the timing

The stated total time is 40 minutes, but the method has several separate stages: cooking the chicken, part-cooking the rice, frying the prawns and finishing everything together. Prepare the vegetables while other components cook to keep the process moving.

Allow the rice to cool for a while after its first cooking, as the method specifies. Keep the chicken and prawns set aside until the final simmer.

What to serve alongside

The rice already includes meat, prawns and vegetables, so it can be served as a complete main course. A simple green salad or sliced fresh vegetables can add a crisp contrast.

For a less filling plate, serve a smaller scoop of rice with extra vegetables. If you want a more substantial meal, pair it with another vegetable side.

Recipe notes & tips

• Rinse and drain the rice thoroughly before frying it.
• Measure out the chicken cooking liquid before adding it to the rice so you can reserve some for the final simmer.
• Keep the chicken and prawns separate after frying and return them to the pan near the end.
• Cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they cook at a similar rate.
• Taste the rice before serving and continue simmering if the grains are still firm.

Variations

• Add more vegetables: increase the peas, sweetcorn or peppers to suit what you have.
• Adjust the chilli: use less for a gentler dish or more for extra heat.
• Use fresh thyme: swap in fresh thyme for the dried thyme as suggested in the ingredient list.
• Change the herbs: use chives instead of spring onions, or the other way round.
• Make it less rich: reduce the coconut oil used for frying while keeping the coconut milk in the rice.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Wet rice: let it drain after rinsing so excess water does not throw off the cooking liquid.
• Overcooked prawns: remove them after 2–3 minutes per side and add them back only for the final simmer.
• Rice still firm: check a grain before serving and simmer longer if needed.
• Adding everything at once: cook the vegetables in stages as directed so the carrots and peppers have time to soften.
• Skipping the reserved seasoning: set aside 1 tablespoon of the crushed chicken seasonings to add with the vegetables.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout, adding a small splash of water if the rice seems dry; avoid reheating more than once.

Frequently asked questions