Cooking jasmine rice with coconut milk is slightly different from the standard rice cooking method. Follow these failproof steps for success, let’s find out how and why:

Rinse the rice. Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear to remove starches. About 4 times, on the 5th time, allow the rice to sit in the clear water while you move onto the next step. Resting in the water allows the grains to get a head start on absorbing water so the fat from the milk will not interfere.

Why rinse? Rinsing jasmine rice before cooking removes excess surface starch, which helps prevent the rice from becoming overly sticky or gummy. This step ensures that the rice cooks up light, fluffy, and separate, creating the perfect texture for coconut rice. Additionally, rinsing can remove any impurities or dust that might be present from the packaging process.

Combine ingredients. Pour coconut milk, water, salt, and sugar into a pot and heat gently until the mixture starts to bubble, but avoid a rapid boil. This should take about 3 minutes, so stay attentive to prevent it from boiling over.

Add the drained rinsed rice to the warm milk mixture. Now drain the soaking rice and add to the warm milk mixture. Make sure the added rice comes to a soft low boil, turn the heat down to low and cook covered for 20 minutes.

To Serve. Gently fluff with a fork or a rice paddle, garnish with cilantro, and serve with your favorite main dish. See other garnish ideas below.