Bring a taste of Colombia to your dinner table with this Arroz Con Coco. This sweet savory rice is made from evaporated coconut that turns to caramelized shreds and cooked up with some raisins. The perfect side dish to pair with fish or any other type of seafood.
On the Caribbean coastal region of Colombia, Cartagena to be precise. The people of Colombia go crazy for this coconut dish.
A savoury dish with a subtle hint of sweetness that comes together with using only a few ingredients. This is the best way to impress your guests with a Latin themed side dish or even share with your family.
What is arroz con coco?
The word essentially translates to meaning coconut rice, a dish that derives from Colombia. This side dish or appetizer is made from rice, coconut milk, water, sugar, salt and raisins.
The coconut milk is boiled until it begins to evaporate and separate with the coconut solids caramelizing and turning brown.
What is leftover from the boiling process is known as Titoté. Titoté is the dark residue which almost resembles shredded bits of coconut.
Rice is then added along with the sugar, salt and water and left to simmer until fluffy.
For a second you may be forgiven to think the pictures deeply resemble Jamaican Rice and Peas or my Instant Pot Moros y Cristianos due to the dark hue.
Recipe revamp
Having made this recipe a million times now I have now added my own spin to it. My recipe calls for coconut sugar for its butterscotch taste and brown rice which has a nutty taste and is a more nutritionally dense.
Please note that the traditional recipe calls for white rice and white sugar, this is MY healthier spin
Ingredients you will need
- Brown rice: I use brown rice because it is more nutritionally dense and much healthier
- Coconut milk: Be sure to purchase milk that is FULL FAT with no additional ingredients (gum or emulsifiers)
- Water: Some liquid is needed to cook the rice, I use half coconut milk and half water.
- Coconut sugar: Yields a subtle hint of sweetness
- Raisins: Optional but used a per tradition
- Pink Salt: For flavour!!
How to make arroz con coco
- Heat the coconut solids in a heavy base saucepan or skillet and bring to a boil (picture 1).
- Reduce heat to medium and stir the coconut solids until they separate from the oil. This should take roughly 10-15 minutes. if using a full can of coconut milk this will take at least 30 minutes to achieve.
- After a while dark shredded particles should form (this is your titoté) (Picture 2).
- Skim off the excess oil from your titoté in the pan and discard.
- Add the rice to the pan and coat with the coconut followed by the pink salt, coconut sugar, raisins and then stir (picture 3 - 5).
- Pour in the coconut milk and stir again (picture 6).
- Bring the milk to a boil, then reduce to simmer, covered, for about 20-25 minutes. During the given time check the liquid levels, if the rice isn't cooked through and the liquid has evaporated add ¼ more of water. If the rice is cooked and still mushy, remove the lid and cook uncovered, checking every few minutes until the liquid has absorbed.
- Fluff the rice and serve (picture 7).
Is the coconut rice freezer friendly?
Yes, you are more than welcome to freeze down any leftovers. Just be sure to use a freezer friendly container/bowl.
Can you use light coconut milk to make this recipe?
No. You need the fat content to separate and make your titoté. Light coconut milk will not yield enough fat to complete the recipe.
What can you serve this rice with?
Shrimp
Stewed fish
Salmon
Stewed Beans
Notes and tips
- Forming the Titoté. You can make the shredded coconut reside by using either FULL FAT coconut milk or just the coconut solids (the white substance that separates from the clear liquid).
- Coconut milk vs coconut solids. Coconut solids are formed by chilling a can of coconut milk for several hours or overnight. Using the solids are by FAR a quicker technique to achieving your Titoté. It takes about 10-15 minutes. Coconut milk takes at least 30 minutes to evaporate in order to make Titoté .
- Digestible Brown rice. If your body has difficulty with breaking down rice then allow it to soak for several hours or overnight.
- Oil residue. Once the titoté is formed you may notice an excess of oil. I personally perfer to skim off SOME of the oil (not all of the oil).
- Additional spices. Don't be afraid to add some cinnamon, nutmeg or clove. I sometimes like to include a whole cinnamon stick (not traditional) depending on what I am pairing the rice with.
- Strong coconut rice flavour. If you want a more coconut tasting rice then use a can of coconut milk instead of water when adding the remaining ingredients.
Other Latin recipes you should try
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Arroz Con Coco (Colombian Coconut Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup of brown rice soaked, see post for details
- Coconut solids from a chilled large can of FULL FAT coconut milk
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 cup of water plus more if needed
- 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup of raisins optional
- ½ teaspoon of himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- Heat the coconut solids in a heavy base saucepan or skillet and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir the coconut solids until they separate from the oil. This should take roughly 10-15 minutes. if using a full can of coconut milk this will take at least 30 minutes to achieve.
- After a while dark shredded particles should form (this is your titoté)
- Skim off the excess oil from your titoté in the pan and discard.
- Add the rice to the pan and coat with the coconut followed by the pink salt, coconut sugar, raisins and then stir.
- Pour in the coconut milk and stir again.
- Bring the milk to a boil, then reduce to simmer, covered, for about 20-25 minutes. During the given time check the liquid levels, if the rice isn't cooked through and the liquid has evaporated add ¼ more of water. If the rice is cooked and still mushy, remove the lid and cook uncovered, checking every few minutes until the liquid has absorbed.
- Fluff the rice and serve.
Notes
- If the rice is still mushy or undercooked. Please Refer to my How to Fix Rice guide.
- Forming the Titoté. You can make the shredded coconut reside by using either FULL FAT coconut milk or just the coconut solids (the white substance that separates from the clear liquid).
- Coconut milk vs coconut solids. Coconut solids are formed by chilling a can of coconut milk for several hours or overnight. Using the solids are by FAR a quicker technique to achieving your Titoté. It takes about 10-15 minutes. Coconut milk takes at least 30 minutes to evaporate in order to make Titoté .
- Digestible Brown rice. If your body has difficulty with breaking down rice then allow it to soak for several hours or overnight.
- Oil residue. Once the titoté is formed you may notice an excess of oil. I personally perfer to skim off SOME of the oil (not all of the oil).
- Additional spices. Don't be afraid to add some cinnamon, nutmeg or clove. I sometimes like to include a whole cinnamon stick (not traditional) depending on what I am pairing the rice with.
- Strong coconut rice flavour. If you want a more coconut tasting rice then use a can of coconut milk instead of water when adding the remaining ingredients.
Can coconut cream be used instead of coconut milk?...I was told it is from the first press.
Hi Sandra, first press coconut cream is best for making curries so I wouldn't advise making the rice with it.
Technically the northern part of Colombia is in the Caribbean.. I am from Santa marta so I say it is Caribbean enough
Oh similar to Belize, where a certain region is classed as the Caribbean. Thanks for sharing that Information.
This looks very good! Thanks for the brown rice tip. Brown rice takes forever to cook. I will def try your tip next time. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you April and you are very welcome 😉
Yummmm, it sounds so sweet and delicious, the perfect treat for dessert. Love the gorgeous color from the caramelization and the subtle flavor from the cinnamon. Can't wait to try!
Thank you Laura 😉
I love your tip about soaking the rice overnight. Brown rice always gives me a little trouble, so I am absolutely going to try that. This looks delicious, and the cinnamon and coconut flavor in it sound divine!
Thanks Tracey, I highly recommend soaking any whole grain rice, it cooks 10 times quicker.
This looks so amazing! I am completely craving it now, I have never made it myself before
Thank you Kim. I've given you a reason to try the recipe now 😉
It looks amazing!!! 🙂 Full of flavour I bet!! 🙂
Thank you. Yes it really is 😉