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.
Michael Gilmore
Sounds and looks good. Had not thought to do this dish with lentils. Have done something similar with gandules (pigeon peas) or with red beans like gallo pinto.
Soma
This sounds so good & served with a salad it is one full healthy meal. What kind of lentils did you use, brown ones? i do beans & rice, but never combined it with coconut milk, sounds like a flavorful vegetable biryani.
nora@ffr
love coconut and this dish is perfect!! erica congrats on the wards.. you rili deserve 🙂
cheers and have a nice weekend!
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie
The combination of rice and lentils sounds wonderful!
Erica
Thank you all so much for visiting my blog!!!
Erica
Hi Rebecca,
Brown lentils.
Anna
I love food with coconut, it makes everything so aromatic. Your picture looks really good too.
pooja
hmmm looks yum Erica ! i would love to try these sometime !
rebecca subbiah
what kind of lentils looks great
Velva
I love coconut! I would have never thought coconut and lentils together. Great combination!
I would not have known that coconut was a common cooking ingredient in Colombian cooking. Interesting!
Amber
This looks so good! How beautiful. I love coconut rice and I love lentils but I have never had the combo of them together. I will have to try it!
Erica
Thank you everyone!!!
Nora
Mmmm, que rico! I LOVE the sound of that!
Danielle
wow...that looks great!!
theungourmet
I love lentils and coconut milk!
This kind of reminds me of a rice I made with jerk chicken a while back.
I love your presentation! Yum!
Oysterculture
Love the combinations here, they sound delicious! Of course your presentation is so much nicer than anything you'd find on my table.