Jamaican Coconut Rice (Instant Pot)

Learn how to make some island style coconut rice that is light, fluffy, delicious and flavoursome. An instant pot version of this rice dish made with nutritious brown rice and coconut milk.

Believe it or not making the perfect bowl of rice isn't difficult at all. I know for some that making rice can seem like a chore but it's very simple when you have the correct ratio of rice to liquid.

Today I'm going to show you how to make some coconut rice using your instant pot.

**Please note that COCONUT RICE IS NOT THE SAME AS RICE AND PEAS, I'm not sure how/where this confusion came about, but I have seen other recipe developers refer to Jamaican rice and peas as coconut rice when they aren't the same.**

This is what is known as a dump and start recipe meaning, all you have to do is add all of the ingredients to the inner pot, place the lid on it and press the start button.

Sounds simple doesn't it? Yes, and it is.

Coconut rice with Jasmine rice

Most coconut rice recipes are made with jasmine rice which is a type of white rice that is popular in Asian dishes (i.e Thai, Vietnamese, Fillipino, Cambodian etc..).

It is a fragrant rice what is light, airy and very very fluffy in texture. However, just like any type of white rice, it is highly processed.

Unfortnately, processing involves removing the husk (the protective shell), bran (outer layer) and germ (inner core).

As a result of removing all of the aforementioned components the rice has been striped of any fibre or nutritional value.

This is the reason why whole grain rice is often praised in comparsion to white rice because it still has its bran and germ intact.

While I will agree that white jasmine rice has a more airy texture, it simply holds way less nutritional value and has a higher glycemic index (source).

Is coconut rice healthy?

Good question! Coconut rice that is made with brown rice is a lot healthier than making it with white rice.

Despite the fact that rice contains many calories, remember calories are energy and not all are made equally.

Coconut contains saturated fats, these fats aren't the same as the fats found in cookies and pastries, a misconception that many seem to have about coconut.

Studies have found that coconut milk helps to increased the High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) which is the "good cholestrol" while lowering the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) the "bad cholestrol" which attributes to heart disease (source).

Both sources are anti flammatory contain antioxidant, optimal levels of fibre along with vitamins and minerals. 

Of course like all things, you should eat coconut rice in moderation, but the good thing is you're consuming something with plenty of health benefits.

Reasons to make coconut rice in your instant pot

If you are looking for a minimalistic method to make coconut rice then it doesn't get any easier than by using your instant pot.

Unlike making rice on the stove which needs constant checking, reducing and increasing the temperature, stirring and so fourth.

The instant pot eliminates all of the above, since all you need to do is place eveything in the inner pot and the appliance does all of the hard work for you.

You don't need to check in with the progress of the rice nor worry about the liquid levels (too much or too little).

Which is why this just might be your go to method from now on.

The steps

• Thoroughly rinse the rice until the water runs clear, use your hands to toss the rice to ensure it has been completlely rinsed through (I did this using a large sieve).
• Place the rice in the inner pot.
• Add the bundle of thyme, the onion, garlic granules and pink salt.
• Pour in the water.

• Combine the creamed cocont in the jug with the coconut milk and pour that into the pot too.
• If you are adding any additional ingredients like scallion, pimento etc.. add that now.
• Place the lid on the instant pot and set the switch to "sealling".
• Select "pressure cook" on "high" mode for 20 minutes (The unit will take several minutes to build up pressure before it begins).
• Once done, allow the unit to perform a natural release (should take around 10 minutes).
• Set the switch to "venting" to release any excess pressure.
• Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff up the rice and to shake off any additional leaves off the thyme stem.
• Discard the thyme stem.
• Do a taste test and add any pink salt if required.

Notes and tips

• Feel free to add in some pimento berries or whole scallion if you wish to do so.
• Refrigerate any leftover rice for no more than 24 hours.
• You can use low fat coconut milk instead of full fat if you want to reduce the calories but the taste of coconut will be weak.
• Freeze brown rice for up to 3 months.
• You can purchase creamed coconut/coconut cream with any grocery store which is frequented by African Caribbean. It was also cheaper than buying it from a health store.
• Be sure to follow the EXACT measurements to ensure your rice isn't sticky.
• If you run into any issues when making the rice, please refer to my How to Fix Rice post.
• Soak the rice in lime water, if you need to the night before to ease any bloating and gastrointestinal problems.
• Make sure to use a balance of water and coconut milk, don't skip using the water as the recipe won't turn out very good without using both.
• It is very important to wash the rice until the water runs clear. I spent quite some time (just a personal habit) washing my rice to ensure every bit of debris and excess starch had gone.
• To optimise the taste in coconut, I definitely recommend adding creamed coconut. It's not pictured but I did combine it with the coconut milk.
• Feel free to add any additional seasoning, if you want to.

Troubleshooting rice recipes

• How to Fix Rice
• How to Cook Brown Rice on The Stove

Othe rice dishes to try

• Brown Rice Jambalaya
• Arroz Con Coco (Vegan)
• Pumpkin Rice (Vegan)
• Vegan Pineapple Fried Rice
• Mackerel and Rice
• Lamb Fried Rice
• Saltfish Fried Rice
• Vegan Turmeric Rice
• Leftover Turkey Fried Rice

**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**