A scoop of sweet brown rice with fresh mango slices fanned out on the side. This makes a hearty and filling breakfast!
Sweet Coconut Brown Rice with Mango
Ingredients
Makes 3 cups cooked rice. 3 - 6 servings, depending on how much rice per serving.
1 cup sweet brown rice
2 cups coconut milk (plus more for serving with, if desired)
2 dried dates, chopped (optional)
pinch of salt
1 fresh mango, peeled and sliced
Cooking Instructions
Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker): combine the rice, coconut milk, dates (if using) and salt. Cook at 15 minutes high pressure with natural release. For the easiest cleanup, put the rice mixture in a Pyrex cooking dish. Use a rack in the pot. Pour a cup of water into the pot, then put the Pyrex dish on the rack.
Stovetop: combine the rice, coconut milk, dates (if using) and salt in a pot that will hold at least 4 cups. Bring to a simmer. Put a lid on the pot and let simmer gently until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Can be served warm or cold. Put a scoop of the cooked coconut rice in a bowl along with some mango slices. Pour additional coconut milk over the rice if desired. If it is not sweet enough for your taste, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, or a sprinkle of the sweetener of your choice can be added.
This can be very filling, so 1/4 cup cooked rice with a few mango slices may be the right amount after a large meal. If you are serving this on its own for breakfast, you may want 1/2 to 1 cup of cooked rice per serving.
The coconut rice can be cooked ahead of time and kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 days and then reheated. The rice tends to dry out in the refrigerator, so add a tablespoon or two of water or coconut milk when reheating.
Notes about the ingredients
Sweet Brown Rice
This rice has a chewy texture and a toastier, nuttier flavor than white rice. A note about finding this rice: I use Lundberg Farms Organic Brown Sweet Rice, which I can buy from the bulk bins at Kokua Market Natural Foods in Honolulu. Lundberg Farms seems to only sell this in a 25-pound bag. Bob’s Red Mill did have it in a 1lb 11 oz. bag, but now I can’t find it on their website. You may be able to find sweet brown sticky glutinous rice at an Asian market, like ROM AMERICA brown sweet sticky rice (Amazon Associates link below - I receive a small fee if you make a purchase with that link). It does not contain gluten. Sticky rice is gluten-free. What makes it sticky and glue-like (glutinous) is a naturally high amount of amylopectin, a type of starch. While I do find this to have a mild natural sweetness that goes well with ripe fruit, it may not be sweet enough for your taste. Chopped dates go well with the flavor of the rice and can be added before or after cooking. Honey and maple syrup also go well with this.
Coconut Milk
If you can use homemade coconut milk from fresh coconuts, use it! Otherwise, use an unsweetened packaged coconut milk.
Mango
Use a fresh, tree-ripened mango for the best results. Mangoes that have been picked green for shipping just don’t have as much flavor. If you live in an area with mango trees, this is a great recipe for celebrating mango season with! If you just can’t get a mango, try this with fruits that are locally grown. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and cherries, for example, are also juicy, tender, and sweet.