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1
Toast the Coconut
8 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Warm the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat, add the desiccated coconut and stir constantly for 6 to 8 minutes, until it turns an even golden brown and smells deeply nutty. Keep it moving — coconut goes from golden to burnt in under a minute.
Use a wooden spoon and never leave the pot; the colour deepens fast once it starts.
Done when: The coconut is evenly golden brown and smells toasted and nutty.
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2
Make the Titote Caramel
7 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Pour in the coconut milk and add the grated panela and salt. Stir as it comes to a simmer, then keep cooking for 5 to 7 minutes, until the liquid reduces and turns a dark caramel brown and the oil begins to separate at the edges. This dark caramel is the titote — the soul of the dish.
If the caramel looks pale, give it another minute or two; pale titote means pale, bland rice.
Done when: The liquid is dark caramel brown with beads of coconut oil at the edges.
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3
Add the Rice and Raisins
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Stir in the drained rice and the raisins, coating every grain in the caramel. Add the water, stir once, and bring it back to a lively simmer.
One stir only from here on — stirring cooked rice breaks the grains and makes it gummy.
Done when: Every grain is coated dark gold and the liquid is bubbling evenly.
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4
Simmer Low and Slow
20 Mins
Low heat, about 95°C (200°F)
Cover the pot with a tight lid, turn the heat to low, and cook for 18 to 20 minutes without lifting the lid, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and rest, still covered, for 10 minutes.
Lifting the lid lets the steam out and the top layer stays hard — trust the timer instead.
Done when: No liquid pools at the bottom and the rice is tender right through.
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5
Fluff and Serve
5 Mins
Off the heat, about 60°C (140°F)
Fluff the rice gently with a fork, lifting from the bottom so the caramelised grains at the base mix through. Serve hot, in a mound, with the raisins scattered through the gold.
A fork, never a spoon — a spoon presses the grains together and turns the rice into a cake.
Done when: The rice is glossy, golden and separate, with raisins in every spoonful.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon the golden rice into a wide bowl and serve it hot, straight from the pot, so the caramelised grains at the bottom — the best part — are shared out, not left behind.
Colombia
2h
