Mery Gándara de Barrera with the completed arroz coco.

Ingredients and implements for making coconut rice.

Photo by Sojin Kim

Simmering the coconut milk

Photo by Sojin Kim

This coconut rice recipe comes from Mery Gándara de Barrera

This dish comes from the Caribbean region, but it is popular throughout the country. Some people add raisins to it. It is commonly served with fish and plantains.

Ingrediants: 

• 1 lb. rice
• 2 coconuts
• Sugar

Directions: 

1. Crack coconut and scrape out fruit.
2. Grate the fruit and place in blender with 4 cups of water. *
3. Strain coconut mix and place liquid on stove with 3 tablespoons of sugar and simmer. During this process, the water will evaporate and the oil from the coconut will clump together forming a brown substance (titote).
4. Add rice to this mixture and more water, cover and let the rice cook.
5. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

*If you don’t have access to fresh coconut, you can use packaged coconut milk.

Carolina Restrepo is a program intern for the Columbia program at the 2011 Folklife Festival.