recipe: coconut rice

even though i'm not a coconut lover, i am a lover of coconut rice. lately everything i've been craving is cumin and spice-injected thai food, and i love the idea of the sweet sweet on the side... such a happy mouth party when they're all together. i used the coconut rice recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen, modifying it based on ingredients i had and just wanting to do a quicker version.

ingredients list (for 3):
- 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 cup of water
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped & divided
- 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

to make:
- bring coconut milk and water to a boil. add rice, and lower to a simmer. stir in lime juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, cumin, and 2 tbsp cilantro, and let simmer for 30 minutes (add more water if necessary...the rice will be done before 30 minutes, but let it cook longer in more liquid for a creamier end result). remove from heat and let rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

while rice is cooking, toast coconut flakes until light golden brown. add remaining cilantro and toasted coconut flakes on top of rice before serving.
***
as for verdict, this actually came out better than i expected (the last coconut rice i had was at Hurricane Club and was AMAZING, so i didn't let my hopes get up that high). it was not very sweet on its own with the coconut milk, so i added the brown sugar which brought it up to speed. it was nice & creamy like a risotto but still very light. the toasted coconut was actually a must for this - it gave it a nice zip & slight crunch. i'd go so far as to say 8********, this will def be popping up again next to some spicy dishes.