Are you guys ready to make a snack better than this week’s bae? Cuz I got one for you. It’s coconut rice! This can be eaten as a snack, as dessert, as breakfast, as freakin’ whatever! 

Another simple dish, from a simple cook. Here’s what you need: 

• Water 
• Rice 
• Coconut milk – in the can 
• Sugar 
• Small pot with a lid. 

Optional: 

• This squeezy cream of coconut stuff that you find in the alcohol section to add more creaminess, sweetness and coconut flavor. Congrats to those of you under 21, I’m giving you permission to go to the alcohol section, but only for this! 
• Traditionally it is topped with mango, but I’m sure it would be good with other fruit, like strawberries, raspberries, cherries, bananas, whatever you want. 
• More sugar. Less sugar.

Notes: 

• This is supposed to be with short grain rice, but like I can never find it and long grain works fine. 
• Long grain is 2 waters for 1 rice. 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rice. 
• Short grain is 1½ cups of water for one cup of rice. 

Now this is really flexible for a recipe, like its hard to mess up rice, guys. So, a lot of this is to taste or preference, but this is the bones of it. 

Rinse your rice, this step is necessary. There’s different saying for how much you should rinse your rice, some say like three times, some say until the water runs clear, but I think the fluffier you want it the more you rinse it, otherwise it could be starch-y. Don’t even think about using your pasta strainer the holes are too big, a rice strainer is good. 

Set your water to boil while you do that. After rinsing your rice just set it somewhere where you don’t mind if it drips—like a dish drainer. Once the water is boiling, add the rice, and lower the heat to a medium. Don’t cover it yet.

Let it cook for like 10 minutes or until the water is gone, not until it is dry! It should have some moisture, it’s not totally done cooking. And it definitely should not be getting stuck to the bottom. If it is, you might be able to save it. I think you can just add a bit of water and try to mix it in. If you messed up so much that you can’t fix it, then the only advice I can give you is marry someone who likes cooking. 

Now (for those of you that can make rice) dump your can of coconut milk in and add the sugar. For the sugar it is really up to you, but like a cup to a cup and a half is probably good. Mix those in. You can add and mix in a squeeze or two of the cream of coconut if you want to now, or you can just wait until the end. 

If you don’t have the can and rice ready remove the rice from the heat! All the way. Don’t just turn off the stove, move it to another burner that is cold. And cover it! This will hold in some of the steam it produces to help keep it from drying out while you open the can and measure the sugar. If you are fast then sure it’s fine, but if your like me and can’t work your roommates old electrical can opener than do take it off. 

Now that you have everything mixed together, put it back on low-medium heat and go ahead and taste it. Make sure it’s how you want. It’ll be really soupy, but that’s fine. 

Come back every couple minutes to stir and see how its doing. Once the liquid is absorbed (after about 10 minutes) take it off the heat and let it cool. I keep it covered. It might have a little bit of a crunch in the rice, but if it’s enough to bother you then I don’t know what you did. Chances are, other than the can of coconut milk, you still have enough to try again. 

Enjoy! Once it’s as cool as you can handle feel free to eat it warm, put it in the fridge to store it, and eat it later cold, or reheated in the microwave.