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Arroz con coco
Caribbean-coast caramelised coconut rice (arroz con coco titoté)
Along Colombia's Caribbean coast, in Cartagena and Santa Marta, arroz con coco is the rice served with fried fish and patacones; it pairs just as well with beans, fried plantain and salad. The dark version, arroz con coco titoté, comes from cooking coconut milk down until the oil separates and the solids fry into brown, toasty flecks (titoté), then adding the rice with a little sugar and raisins. The result is nutty, sweet-savoury and light brown. Chef's tip: be patient with the titoté; it only tastes right once the bits are deep brown, but take it off the moment they turn the colour of coffee or it will be bitter.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pour 3 ¼ cups tinned coconut milk into a wide, heavy pot over a medium-high heat. Boil, stirring now and then, until the water evaporates and the milk splits into clear oil and white curds, 12–15 minutes.
14 minStep 2: Keep cooking and stirring, scraping the bottom, until the curds fry in the oil and turn deep golden brown (the titoté), 4–6 minutes. Watch closely at this stage.
5 minStep 3: Immediately pour in 2 cups water (it will hiss), add 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil, scraping up all the brown bits.
2 minStep 4: Add 10 ½ oz long-grain white rice and 1 ⅜ oz raisins and boil uncovered until the liquid has sunk to the level of the rice, about 5 minutes.
5 minStep 5: Cover tightly, turn the heat to low and cook for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the bottom is lightly toasted. If it still looks dry and hard after 15 minutes, sprinkle over ½ cup water and cover again.
19 minStep 6: Rest for 5 minutes off the heat, then fluff. The common mistake is using light coconut milk, which won't separate and gives pale, bland rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arroz con coco take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of tinned coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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