Have you tried coconut rice?
Indonesian coconut turmeric rice with cashews will liven up any meal. Turmeric is the trending ingredient that everyone is talking about. I love turmeric, the bright yellow color, and the pungent bitter flavor that adds a beautiful punch to all kinds of foods. Turmeric's color is similar to that of saffron, but the taste is completely different.
Turmeric's taste has hints of orange and ginger. Turmeric is a root, and a member of the ginger family. It grows abundantly in India and also in Vietnam.
Turmeric has been used for centuries in cooking and traditional medicine. It's been used to treat stomach and liver ailments. Presently there are various studies being conducted to test the healing properties of turmeric for curing various ailments. Cashews, like many nuts have a lot of nutrients like magnesium, and vitamin E.
This is an Indonesian recipe. I found a similar recipe in an Asian cookbook my Japanese friend gifted me when she moved away. By the way the Indonesian name for this recipe is nasi kunci. I love making anything with rice, because it is like a blank slate.
It's easy to make!
Indonesian coconut turmeric rice with cashews is not hard to make at all. For starters very few ingredients are needed. If you have a rice cooker, you are golden. (I have those instruction below too.) Basically get everything into the pot and then wait for it to finish. It's an Asian recipe that's easy to put together on a weeknight.
Step by step photos to make nasi kunci:
- Gather all your ingredients and gave them measured, chopped and ready to go.
- Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs mostly clear and set aside.
- Add the oil to a sauce pan on medium heat then sauté the shallots until translucent.
- Add the rice to the pan.
- Pour in the water.
- Add in the coconut milk.
- Add the salt and turmeric.
- Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil while stirring to combine. Once it boils turn the heat to medium-low and cook covered for 20 minutes
- Fluff up the rice with a fork and add the chopped cashews.
- Top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve.
A texture explosion
I absolutely adore the texture contrast in this dish: soft and crunchy. I prefer to use Basmati rice because it has a bit more flavor than the traditional white rice. It's also the rice of choice in Indian, Pakistani, and Persian cuisine. Basmati rice is also more fragrant, so a perfect choice for coconut turmeric rice with cashews.
More Asian Recipes to Try
Indonesian Curried Noodles - Hints of spice, coconut, and warming turmeric make this noodle dish with shrimp an absolute treat.
Vietnamese Beef Stew: Bo Sot Vang - Red wine, star anise, and cinnamon make this beef stew the best one you've ever had.
Beef Noodle Salad - Pho Tron is the perfect dish for a hot day. This dry noodle salad has a tangy sauce and plenty of herbs and crunchy fried onion.
Bun Cha: Vietnamese Grilled Pork Meatballs - Grilled pork meatballs that get dunked in a tangy broth with a side of rice noodles and herbs.
Coconut Chicken Soup - This creamy coconut soup has Thai flavors and is so easy to make.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How long can I store this in the refrigerator? Once it has completely cooled you can store this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on medium power until hot but stop and stir every 30 seconds to fluff it up.
- Can I freeze this dish? Yes, once it has completely cooled you can pack into zip top freezer bags packed flat to save space and expel all the air. This will keep for a month in the freezer. Thaw it completely and microwave is as described above.
- How can I make this recipe in a rice cooker? Gather all the ingredients then sauté the minced shallots in a pan until translucent. Add the shallots to the rice cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients into the rice cooker, set for white rice if your unit has a setting for white or brown rice then start. Simple!
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Indonesian Coconut Turmeric Rice with Cashews
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ tsp. Kosher salt
- ½ tsp. ground turmeric
- ¼ cup cashews coarsely chopped
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a saucepan heat oil on medium heat, and saute shallots until translucent.
- Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs mostly clear. Add in the rice and stir to combine.
- Next, add the water, coconut milk, salt and turmeric and stir.
- Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Turn heat down to medium-low and cover.
- Cook covered for about 20 minutes.
- Fluff rice, and transfer to a bowl.
- Top with cashews, and cilantro.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How long can I store this in the refrigerator? Once it has completely cooled you can store this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on medium power until hot but stop and stir every 30 seconds to fluff it up.
- Can I freeze this dish? Yes, once it has completely cooled you can pack into zip top freezer bags packed flat to save space and expel all the air. This will keep for a month in the freezer. Thaw it completely and microwave is as described above.
- How can I make this recipe in a rice cooker? Gather all the ingredients then sauté the minced shallots in a pan until translucent. Add the shallots to the rice cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients into the rice cooker, set for white rice if your unit has a setting for white or brown rice then start. Simple!
Nutrition
Meymi-Pastry and Beyond
Looks delicious! This rice sounds so yummy with turmeric, coconut mik and cashews!
Analida
Thanks Meymi!
I know a girl who is from Indonesia, and she said that this is one of her favorite things. Thanks for the compliments. 🙂
laura anne grey
YUM! Just made this tonight for dinner and the we loved it! This recipe will be in regular rotation for dinner as it is quick, easy and so flavorful. Thank you Analida!
Analida
Thank you so much! I am glad you liked it! If you like these flavors you might also like coconut curry chicken: https://ethnicspoon.com/coconut-curry-chicken/-curry-chicken/
Chandice Probst
Yum, I I love coconut in anything and this is a great dish for it!
Veena Azmanov
Delicious and perfect comfort meal option. Coconut juice sounds interesting to making this rice yummy.
Tami Price
This recipe is so good! Made it for dinner the other night and it was a huge hit! Just the right amount of Turmeric! Thanks so much for sharing!
Analida
Thanks so much Tami! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Jenny S Graves
Love the color, it looks incredible and yummy. We love rice in our family so I will definitely be making this!
Bernice Hill
Perfect! There is a local company that grinds fresh turmeric and sells it jars. I'm always looking for new ways to use it up.
Analida
That is awesome! I was buying 5 pounds of fresh turmeric at time, grinding and freezing into cubes for while. The organic powdered version was way less work. Enjoy!
Andrea Howe
This was delicious and such a fun twist on traditional rice. Loved the turmeric addition as well!
Amanda
This rice looks so fantastic! Love the addition of coconut milk as it adds a creaminess to the dish.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
Turmeric is one of the best! This Indonesian coconut turmeric rice with cashews is making me super hungry. This will be perfect for a family meal. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Kay
So delicious, a great side dish with my curry, Never thought of adding cashews too, adds great texture.
Tanya
I never really thought to put any kind of nut in my rice - but the crunch makes sense! This would go really well with teriyaki chicken. Thanks for sharing!
Amanda
I just love this coconut turmeric rice! The cashews are such a nice addition, and I love the flavor they add. Can't wait to make this one again!
Aline
I'm Brazilian and rice is like a religion to us ahaha I love this recipe so very much!! It's a pretty dish, that tasted so great and it's so easy to make! Will be making it again for sure! Thank you!
Jacque Hastert
I haven't attempted to make this kind of rice at home. I love it when we go to the restaurant, however, now I am ready to attempt at home using this recipe.