This Rice with Coconut and Lentils is an easy one-pot side dish with a wonderful coconut flavor. Perfect to serve with your favorite meat or as a meatless main dish.
This Rice with Lentils and Coconut (Arroz con Lentejas y Coco) is a traditional Colombian recipe and if you follow this blog, you know that I use coconut milk in a lot of the traditional Colombian dishes.
Ingredients You'll Need
The printable recipe card with exact amounts and cooking directions is below.
Rice: I recommend using long grain rice, because the texture is fluffy. Feel free to use your favorite.
Lentils: You need to wash them well and discard any debris.
Coconut Milk: You need canned coconut milk to make this rice recipe.
Water: Helps to make the coconut milk thinner and the rice won't be mushy.
Vegetables: Onion and garlic to add flavor to the dish.
Oil: I like to use olive oil, but you can replace it with butter.
Salt: To add flavor
Cilantro: To garnish
How to Serve this Rice
This delicious rice with lentils and coconut dish makes a fabulous accompaniment for grilled meats, poultry and seafood and could also be served as a vegetarian meal, perhaps with a green salad.
How to make Rice with Lentils and Coconut
- Rinse and soak the lentils for 30 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add the lentils, salt and water. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and the water is absorbed.
- Add the rice and stir until combined. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
More Rice Recipes to Try
Cilantro Rice (Arroz con Cilantro)
Rice with Carrots (Arroz con Zanahoria
Rice with Coconut and Lentils Recipe (Arroz con Coco y Lentejas)
Ingredients
- ½ cup lentils
- 1 cup rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- Salt
- Fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Rinse and soak the lentils for 30 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add the lentils, salt and water. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and the water is absorbed.
- Add the rice and stir until combined. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.
Robert
I recently made this dish and the recipe was right on. I love lentils and rice. It the coconut milk brought it to another level.
Anonymous
This was excellent. I thought it may be a bit bland but it was so delicious!!
Laurie E Matherne
I have cooked this often since discovering your recipe years ago. I love the combination of coconut milk and lentils.
Catherine
Erica, I love your blog! I’m Colombian, but came here at the age of 3. So I didn’t get to grow up with all of the yummy Colombian food. My mom only knew how to cook a handful of traditional meals. So it’s awesome that I can get all these yummy Colombian dishes from your blog! So I thank you for sharing with us all! I made this arroz con coco y lentejas and it did come out with an amazing flavor! My kids and I loved it! However, the rice came out mushy. Any pointers? I followed the recipe exactly as you wrote it.... except that I doubled the recipe as I needed to feed more people than just 4. Any tips will be greatly appreciated! Muchísimas gracias Érica!!
Anonymous
Do you mean canned coconut milk or the thinner drinking kind?
Erica Dinho
Canned coconut milk
reinesha alexis
Is the rice already cooked when you add or is it uncooked when you add
Erica Dinho
No
Sandy
If I didn't want to use coconut milk, what would be an appropriate substitute?
Mike
I had arroz con coco at an office gathering today, it was amazing. What kind of rice do you recommend?
Erica Dinho
I like to use long grain rice.
marionk
My mother was from Panama and coconut rice was a staple on our table. She has passed and I was so dumb not to get the recipe. I remember her making it using fresh coconut, but I never could would remember what type of bean she used in it. I knew it was a small brown bean. Your recipe looks almost identical to mom's rice. I am going to try it. thank you!!
DougT
Coming back for the fourth time to make a new family favorite!
The first time we made this for a BBQ we had. A pal is Colombian, so I thought I'd surprise him. He was, we loved it, and here I am back again.
Thanks for posting!
Erica
Thank you so much for your comments!