After tasting this dish and falling in love, no one ever believes how easy it is to make. We tend to keep a few cans of coconut milk and rice in the cupboard at all times, since it’s a great fallback when the fridge is bare. If you’re a huge fan of coconut and you’re looking for a little crunch, then bake some sweetened coconut in the oven and toss it on top.

Yield: 4 servings

In a medium saucepan, bring coconut milk to a boil. Add oil and rice and boil for 1 minute. Stir well. Reduce heat to simmer, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes, until most of liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff rice with a fork, add butter and cilantro, and season with salt.