Kiribath (Sri Lankan Coconut Milk Rice)
Kiribath (aka Kiri Bath), also known as Milk Rice or Coconut Milk Rice, is a popular rice dish made with coconut milk and traditionally served for breakfast and special occasions like New Year’s Day.
Servings: 5
Equipment
- A Pot or Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 300 g white rice see the notes
- 400 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 400 ml thick coconut milk
Instructions
Stove top version
- Wash the rice well and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain the rice and then put it into a pot with water and salt.
- Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes covering with a lid until the rice is almost cooked. Do not open the lid while cooking.
- After the rice is fully cooked, open the lid and add coconut milk, stir well with a spoon. Cover and cook on low heat for a further 10 minutes until all the coconut milk is absorbed into the rice and the consistency becomes creamy and sticky.
Rice cooker version
- Wash the rice well and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain the rice and then put it into a rice cooker with water and salt and cook till done.
- Open the lid and add coconut milk, stir well with a spoon. Switch on back to ‘Cook’ and cook till the milk is absorbed.
Flatten and Cut into Pieces
- Spoon the kiri bath onto a flat plate with plastic paper while still hot. Traditionally heated banana leaves are used. If you have banana leaves, do use them.
- Flatten out to about 3cm thick using a piece of plastic, or wax paper. Let cool and cut into squares or diamonds. Serve with Seeni Sambol, or Lunu Miris.
Notes
Traditionally, a Sri Lankan short-grain rice variety called Kakulu Haal is used. Here in Japan, I usually use short-grain Japanese white rice (not glutinous rice). You can also use long-grain Thai white rice or basmati rice.