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Coconut Rice
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Makes: 4 - 6 servings

Alvina Mangrai’s Burmese prawn curry was the recipe featured in our first ever Cooking with Grandma video. In the video, Alvina shows her granddaughter Alyssa how to make the curry that she first learned to make when she was pregnant and living in the United States after moving from Burma. To accompany the curry, she suggests making this coconut rice. Pat Tanumihardja, author of the blog The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook, transcribed the recipe and shared it with CHOW. She’ll also include it in her book, due out in either late 2009 or early 2010.

Game plan: To make perfect rice every time, Alvina suggests sticking your middle finger into the pot and letting it sit gently on top of the leveled rice; the liquid should come up to just below the second joint. This measurement seems to work regardless of finger size, the amount of rice, or how big your pot is!

Photograph by Michael Skrzypek


  1. 1In a large pot with a tightfitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the onion and stir and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat evenly with oil.
  2. 2Stir the coconut milk and pour it into the pot, followed by the water, salt, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
  3. 3Turn off the heat and let the rice rest on the stove, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork or chopsticks. Garnish with fried shallots.
  • Coconut Rice
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