Easy Vegan Coconut Rice

Vegetarian coconut rice is a flavorful side dish that can be eaten on its own as a simple side dish for an Indian food or Thai or pan-Asian themed meal, or, make this easy coconut rice instead of plain steamed white rice to pair with a stir-fry or any kind of sauce such as a vegetarian curry or an Indian lentil dahl. Variations of coconut rice are enjoyed all over Asia, where coconuts are in abundance, from Indonesia to India; even some Caribbean cultures have a traditional version of rice cooked with coconut milk. 

In this recipe, the coconut and lemongrass flavors are inspired by traditional Thai coconut rice recipes, yet this vegan dish has very few ingredients and is a breeze to prepare. Omit the lemongrass stalks if you can't find them locally or they are too expensive. They impart a nice extra Thai flavor, but they certainly aren't needed for a delicious dish. Similarly, use Thai jasmine rice which is a brightly colored and lightly scented white rice, if you can find it, and if not, any variation of plain white rice will work just fine. Use whatever you have on hand.

Looking for more vegetarian rice recipes? You can find many more vegetarian rice recipes right here on The Spruce, including vegetable fried rice, Asian rice salad, curried rice and lentils, or, perhaps it's a few vegetarian Spanish rice paella recipes or vegetarian risotto recipes that you're looking for. If you're cooking on a budget (and even if you're not) and you're looking for more ways to make rice and beans, here's 8 completely non-boring ways to make rice and beans, including brown rice with pineapple, Cuban black rice and beans, rice soup, and more.