Coconut Rice

Coconut rice is the quiet backbone of Papua New Guinean cooking, served alongside grilled fish, curries, and greens in homes from the coast to the highlands. It is made the way rice has always been made here, simmered slowly in coconut milk so each grain plumps up rich and fragrant. Simple as it is, it turns any meal into something special.

What makes coconut rice great is its gentle luxury. The coconut milk makes the rice creamy and subtly sweet, while a pinch of salt keeps it savory, and a pandan leaf, if you can find one, adds a lovely floral note. It needs nothing else, though a handful of toasted coconut on top never hurts.

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