29 Ideas for what to serve with coconut milk rice: side dishes made from ingredients that go well with the rich and aromatic coconut flavor, from a refreshing salad to a hearty curry.
What is Coconut Milk Rice?
There are many types of coconut milk rice, depending on the country you are from.
In Singapore and Malaysia, coconut rice is nasi lemak, or rice cooked with coconut milk, pandan, lemongrass and more spices. In the Caribbean, they add beans or pigeon peas. In Thailand, the rice used is obviously long-grain jasmine rice.
Whatever type of coconut rice you're making, the flavors of these easy side dishes complement it well!
Coconut Milk Rice is also a delicious side dish for chicken curry!
Expert Tips
Tip #1: you need to add water when cooking coconut rice. If not the dish would be much too sticky and heavy. (The ratio of milk: rice is super important for a light and fluffy rice!) If you want a very strong coconut flavor, use coconut water with the coconut milk (instead of regular water.)
Tip #2: allow the rice to rest before opening the rice cooker (or pot) and fluffing up the grains.
Starters
Curry Puffs
Mango Salsa
The sweet and bright flavors of this mango salsa dish help to lift up the rice recipe, which can sometimes taste a bit too rich and creamy. Besides bell peppers, you can also add red onions, lime juice, cilantro and jalapeño peppers to this refreshing and colourful dish.
Samosas
Samosas are a popular Indian dish that go very well with this coconut rice dish- don't forget to serve with some Indian dipping sauces!
Tuna Dip
Curries
A coconut curry sauce goes really well with coconut rice, as the spices complement the coconut! Serve with some Asian cucumber pickles on the side to elevate the heavy flavors.
Pumpkin Chicken Curry
This dish is made with tender chicken and pumpkins simmered in a fragrant coconut milk sauce with a blend of spices. You can also add or substitute with potatoes and carrots, to cook up a rich and hearty curry which is the perfect accompaniment to the rice.
Note: to make a vegetarian version, use firm tofu and vegetables.
Tamarind Fish Curry
Instead of the usual Thai fish curry, try this fish in tamarind coconut cream sauce instead!
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
An aromatic and fragrant chicken recipe that is perfect with the rice!
Note: besides lemongrass, the rice goes really well with curry leaf recipes and kaffir lime leaf recipes too!
Thai Pork Curry
Proteins
Baked Wings
Fried Chicken
Fried chicken, with some turmeric in the batter, is another match made in heaven with coconut rice.
Beef Rendang
This spicy beef stew is something that we often pair with coconut rice in Southeast Asia. In fact, it's 1 of my favourite dishes! Done right, the beef should be stewed till soft and tender and ever so aromatic with all the spices!
Grilled Chicken with Spicy Coconut
Ayam percik is another traditional South East Asian recipe!
Blackened Salmon
Flavourful recipes which don't have very strong spices work well with coconut rice which is why I recommend this easy blackened salmon (and not gochujang salmon or teriyaki fish!)
Fried Egg
A fried egg, sunny side up, is delicious with coconut pilaf! I particularly like the crispy Thai deep-fried omelette (Khai Jiao)!
Veggies
Note: coconut rice goes really well with these vegetarian Indian recipes as well as these Indian side dishes.
Steamed vegetables
Coconut rice is full of flavour, so a side of steamed veggies won't taste bland. Make sure they're steamed till tender and crisp, but not for so long that they go soggy.
Tip: Steaming is also a great way to preserve the nutrients of the vegetables!
Roasted vegetables
Roasted veggies are a healthy, delicious and classic side dish that go well with just about everything! You can roast any combination of vegetables, but popular favourites are carrots and cauliflowers. This side dish adds a nice contrasting texture and flavor to that of the creamy rice.
Note: I'd focus ore on roasting carrots and the like, instead of potatoes, because the rice is already very carb heavy!
Cucumber Slices
Thin sliced cucumbers are a great side dish for coconut milk rice, being juicy yet neutral in flavor.
Cucumber Raita
This yoghurt, cucumber, mint and cilantro mixture is a cooling and refreshing side dish- especially good if 1 of your mains is a spicy curry!
Stir Fry Veg
Or go with a simple vegetable stir fried in light soy sauce!
Drinks
Turmeric ginger tea
Lemongrass tea
For extra lemongrass flavor, use lemongrass syrup to sweeten the ginger water instead of regular sugar.
Pandan Latte
In Southeast Asia, coconut and pandan are a marriage made in heaven.
Step over, boring cold brew lattes and try this coffee spiced with the Vanilla of the East instead!
Pandan Milk
If you can't take coffee, you can try this pandan au lait instead!
Matcha Chai
Another complementary flavor to coconut is Chai. (It's super easy to make all sorts of chai lattes when you have homemade chai concentrate on hand!)
Green Tea Chai
If you don't have matcha on hand- it can be expensive- you can make green tea chai latte instead!
Dirty Chai
Chocolate Chai
For something more indulgent, try Hot Chocolate and Chai!
Desserts
Kueh Dada
Known as Kuih Tayap in Malaysia and Indonesia, this is a sweet treat that we would be very happy to eat with Nasi Lemak Coconut Rice!
Agar Agar
This refreshing jelly is a typical Southeast Asian dessert that 1 would have after Nasi Lemak AND it's a no-sugar no flour dessert to help combat the coconut milk guilt!
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