Coconut, Tomato and Shrimp Rice Pot

One Pot on the Road

2 generous bowls · Active 30 min · Total 1 hr 10 min

Coconut milk and tomato give a covered rice pot a soft, fragrant base, with shrimp added only after the grains have had their first cooking stage. The shrimp should remain distinct and tender rather than simmering for the full rice time. This is a complete two-person pot, useful when you can buy a small quantity of chilled seafood and cook it that day. It is not a reason to keep raw shrimp in a fridge that cannot maintain a safe temperature.

Jump to ingredients

Coconut-tomato rice with curled shrimp and cilantro.

Measure the liquid, then watch the rice

Use ordinary long-grain white rice. First simmer the chopped tomatoes uncovered until their loose juice has reduced to a thick mixture with no watery pool. That matters more than pouring extra water over a variable can of tomatoes. The coconut milk and the initial measured water then supply the covered cooking stage. Use the lowest heat that maintains a gentle simmer, because coconut milk can catch on a hot spot. Keep the separately measured reserve beside the stove. Add it by tablespoons only if the rice is becoming dry before tender; not all of it necessarily belongs in the pot. The finish should be softly moist rice without a pool of broth.

Shrimp enter near the end

Choose peeled raw shrimp of broadly similar size and thaw them safely in the refrigerator if frozen. Pat them dry and arrange them over the nearly cooked rice rather than stirring them into the pot from the beginning. Cover so the steam cooks them gently, then check several of the thickest pieces. Color helps you see their progress, but the safe endpoint is the deciding check. Keep the raw seafood board and juices away from cilantro and the lime used at the finish.

Two bowls avoid a rice-storage project

The quantities are intended for two substantial servings. If there will be a remainder, plan the cold space before cooking and divide it promptly into a shallow container. Rice needs particular care after cooking; leaving it in a warm closed pot is not a safe way to save it. Finish the fresh meal with lime and cilantro only after its short covered rest. That gives clear flavors without stocking another sauce bottle in the camper door.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons neutral oil (10 ml)
  • 1 small onion, finely diced (100 g)
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (10 g)
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped (3 g)
  • 3/4 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained (140 g)
  • 1 cup canned chopped tomatoes with their juice (240 g)
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsweetened coconut milk, stirred before measuring (200 ml)
  • 1/4 cup drinking-quality water (60 ml), plus up to 6 tablespoons (90 ml) additional water held separately as a measured reserve
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
  • 7 oz raw peeled deveined shrimp, thawed and patted dry (200 g)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (15 ml)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (8 g)

Set out

At least 2-liter (2.1-quart) heavy saucepan with snug lid, Fine sieve, Instant-read thermometer, Separate board for raw seafood

Allergens

Crustacean shellfish. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion for 5–6 minutes until soft. Stir in ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and simmer uncovered for 7–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until thick with no watery pool; wetter tomatoes may take a little longer.
  2. Stir the rinsed, drained rice into the reduced tomatoes for 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, the initial 60 ml water and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, stir once, cover and reduce to low. Cook for 16–20 minutes, or the chosen long-grain rice packet time, until nearly tender. Check near the end: if the pot is becoming dry while the rice is still firm, add the separately measured reserve water 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, return to a gentle simmer and continue covered. Use only what is needed, up to the 90 ml reserve in total.
  3. When the rice is nearly tender, lay shrimp over it in an even layer. Cover and cook gently for 5–8 minutes, until the thickest shrimp reach 145°F/63°C, their flesh is opaque, and the rice is tender. If required, use another tablespoon from the same measured reserve and continue covered briefly; do not add all the reserve automatically. The finish is softly moist rice without a pool of broth.
  4. Remove from the heat, rest covered for 3 minutes, then fold gently with lime juice and cilantro. Divide between two bowls and serve immediately. Discard any unused reserve water.

Seafood is a same-day cold-space decision

Buy only what the refrigerator can hold safely at 40°F/4°C or below. A sealed ice bag near an unmeasured warm compartment does not establish a safe storage temperature.

Timing

Allows for reducing the tomatoes before adding rice, the covered grain stage, cooking the shrimp and the 3-minute rest. A particularly watery can of tomatoes or a longer-cooking rice packet may extend the time.

A useful detail

Brown rice, microwave rice pouches and sweetened coconut drinks are not direct substitutes. The recipe depends on uncooked long-grain white rice and unsweetened canned coconut milk.

Another way

  • Use peeled raw diced firm white fish instead of shrimp, cooking every piece to 145°F/63°C; this changes the allergen information.
  • Replace cilantro with 2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped parsley if preferred.

Keep it well

If saving freshly cooked rice, divide promptly into shallow portions and cool and refrigerate as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour. Keep at 40°F/4°C or below and use within 24 hours of the original cooking. Reheat only once to 165°F/74°C throughout, adding a little fresh water. Eat immediately and discard reheated remains. Keep raw shrimp chilled until cooking and follow its package storage limit. Discard food left beyond 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C.

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