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Coconut Rice for Children's Parties

Children's Party Coconut Rice is the one rice dish that Nigerian children often prefer to Jollof Rice at parties — its gentle coconut sweetness, creamy texture and mild seasoning make it perfectly suited to young palates. The slightly sweet, fragrant coconut aroma is genuinely irresistible to children who might otherwise resist eating rice.

Coconut Rice for Children's Parties, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 3 big cups of parboiled long-grain rice, washed
  • 1 big tin of coconut milk plus 1 glass of coconut water from a fresh coconut if available
  • Half a medium chicken, cooked
  • A big handful of large prawns, deveined — optional
  • 2 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 1 Atarodo only — for a barely-there hint of warmth
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 2 cooking spoons of vegetable oil
  • Fresh thyme
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt — moderate for children
  • Water as needed

Method

  1. 01

    Building the Coconut Broth. Combine coconut milk and coconut water in a wide pot. Add blended 1 Atarodo, sliced onion, thyme, seasoning cubes and a moderate amount of salt. Add cooked chicken and ground crayfish. Bring to a gentle boil. Taste — the broth should be mildly sweet from the coconut, very gently spiced and fragrant.

  2. 02

    Cooking the Rice. Add the washed rice. Stir once. The coconut broth should just cover the rice. Seal tightly with foil and lid. Cook on medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes until rice is fully cooked and coconut broth is absorbed.

  3. 03

    Adding Prawns. If using prawns, add in the final 5 minutes and re-seal. Cook until the prawns are just pink.

  4. 04

    Serving. The finished children's Coconut Rice should be ivory-white, fragrant with coconut, slightly glossy and gently sweet. Children will love it.

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