Coconut Rice Pudding with Toasted Coconut

Steps

1. Put the rice, water and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a

   boil (how to boil)

   Boil Heat liquid until big bubbles rise and break all over the surface. 1. Use a pot big enough that the water fills it no more than three quarters.2. Cover it to boil faster, over high heat.3. Salt pasta or vegetable water once it boils.4. Add the food, stir, and bring it back to a boil before you start timing. Done when: A rolling boil keeps bubbling hard even when you stir. Safety: Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, and drain pasta into a colander in the sink, pouring away from you. Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to boil water for pasta and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   over medium-high heat.
2. Turn the heat to low, cover and

   simmer (how to simmer)

   Simmer Cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. 1. Bring the liquid up over medium-high heat.2. As soon as bubbles rise steadily, turn the heat down.3. Adjust until only a few small bubbles break the surface every second or two.4. Stir now and then and check that it hasn't crept back to a boil. Done when: You see lazy, small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A "bare" simmer has just a bubble here and there. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to simmer: mistakes to avoid

   until most of the water is absorbed.
   ⏱ Simmer rice: 10 min
3. Stir in the coconut milk and sugar and bring back to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the rice is soft and the pudding is thick and creamy.
   ⏱ Simmer + stir: 30 min
5. While the pudding cooks,

   toast (how to toast)

   Toast Heat nuts, seeds, spices or bread crumbs in a dry pan or oven until fragrant and lightly browned. 1. Spread them in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, or on a sheet pan at 350°F.2. Shake the pan or stir often.3. Watch and smell: the moment they smell nutty, they are close.4. Tip them onto a plate right away; the hot pan keeps cooking them. Done when: They are fragrant and a shade darker. Small seeds take 1 to 3 minutes; nuts in the oven 5 to 10. How to toast nuts, seeds, spices and bread: mistakes to avoid

   the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until golden.
   ⏱ Toast coconut: 3 min
6. Tip the toasted coconut onto a plate so it stops cooking.
7. Take the pudding off the heat, stir in the vanilla and let it stand to thicken.
   ⏱ Thicken: 10 min
8. Spoon into bowls and top with the toasted coconut, a little

   grated lime zest (how to zest)

   Zest Scrape off just the thin, colored outer skin of a citrus fruit, where the fragrant oils are. 1. Wash and dry the fruit.2. Hold a rasp grater over the bowl (or over the food, so the oils land there too).3. Draw the fruit across the grater with light pressure, turning it after each stroke or two.4. Stop as soon as you see the white layer underneath, then move to a new spot. Done when: The fruit looks pale but still has its white layer, and the zest is fluffy and colored, not white. One lemon gives about 1 tablespoon. Safety: Rasp graters are very sharp; keep your fingers on the far end of the fruit.How to zest a lemon, lime or orange: mistakes to avoid

   and mango if you like.

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

• Shredded coconut burns quickly once it starts to color. Keep stirring and pull it off the heat early.
• Light coconut milk works but makes a thinner pudding.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Store the toasted coconut separately at room temperature so it stays crisp.

Make ahead

Make up to 3 days ahead. Stir in a splash of water or coconut milk if it gets too thick.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.