College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

College of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion

 

AYURVEDIC RECIPES

Coconut Rice


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4.75 out of 5 stars
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"I serve apples stewed in organic apple juice with the cinnamon and nutmeg or cardamom over this coconut rice. It is..."
- Holly Mcspadden Ellabell, GA

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How to Make Coconut Rice

PREPARATION OF THIS HEALTHY RECIPE

1. Bring water to a boil. Add rice, half of the coconut flakes, oil, and salt. Allow the water to return to a boil, turn lower heat to a simmer and cover.

2. Meanwhile, roast remaining coconut flakes until slightly browned. Garnish over rice when tender.

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Cool, soothing, and nourishing, it's no surprise that Coconut Rice is a staple of so many tropical cuisines. Your digestion is much weaker when the weather is warm than when it is cool. Luckily, coconut rice is easy enough for your body to break down and assimilate on those hotter spring and summer days. It cools heat and irritation in the digestive tract and thereby cools the blood. It leaves you feeling calm and satisfied. Use this cooling recipe to effortlessly balance a spicy dish, complement a curry, or enjoy alongside any vegetable dish.

Nourishing Ojas

Rice builds ojas. Ojas is said to have the smell of burnt rice, and is the vital essence of all bodily tissues. Good ojas makes a person look strong, healthy, and radiant. So, cooking basmati rice in nourishing, juicy coconut flakes offers your body a renewed storehouse of strength and vitality. Of the many varieties of rice, Basmati is the most sattvic, meaning that it encourages a peaceful state of mind. It also smells delicately sweet.

Easy to Digest

Rice is nourishing and easy to digest, making this recipe an excellent tonic for those who suffer from gas, bloating, or indigestion. Although brown rice has a higher nutritional profile, white rice is more readily nourishing. Coconut flakes are also a simple, soothing addition to rice that is also fairly easy to digest. Together, this dynamic duo creates a nourishing dish that won't bog down your GI.

Simmer Down

Sweet, sensual coconut calms the mind. Its healthy fats coat the nerves, relaxing anxieties and stressors. It also cools the liver, effectively softening your firey temper and increasing capacity for patience. The next time you feel reactive or on the brink of losing your cool, a pot of coconut rice for your next meal might cool your nerves like a soft blanket of snow.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

Is Coconut Rice Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Coconut Rice' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Metabolic Nature of Coconut Rice

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.

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COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD

EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

OILY

ABOUT OILY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY

HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY

LIQUEFIED

ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED

CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR

TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

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PACIFIES
Pitta pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

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PACIFIES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

AGGRAVATES
PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Other

Crunchy

CRUNCHY

Makes an audible noise when you eat them. Can provide fun texture variation.

SEE ALL 'CRUNCHY' FOODS / HERBS

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Coconut Rice
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Quenches Thirst

QUENCHES-THIRST

An herb or substance that relieves thirst.

SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS

,
Antacid

ANTACID

Herbs that neutralize acidity in the gastrointestinal tract, the stomach in particular.

SEE ALL 'ANTACID' FOODS / HERBS

Relieves Burning

RELIEVES-BURNING

Herbs that soothe a burn or reduce an internal burning sensation, such as aloe vera.

SEE ALL 'RELIEVES-BURNING' FOODS / HERBS

Brain Tonic

BRAIN-TONIC

An herb that strengthens the brain and thereby enhances memory or other cognitive functions and improves mental stamina or stability.

SEE ALL 'BRAIN-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS

,
Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

SEE ALL 'ANTI-INFLAMMATORY' FOODS / HERBS

Refrigerant

REFRIGERANT

An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions.

SEE ALL 'REFRIGERANT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.

SEE ALL 'LIVOTONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Raises Thyroid

RAISES-THYROID

An herb that increases thyroid function.

SEE ALL 'RAISES-THYROID' FOODS / HERBS

Promotes Virility

PROMOTES-VIRILITY

Encourages virility and potency.

SEE ALL 'PROMOTES-VIRILITY' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Coconut Rice

  • Coconut Butter

    Coconut Butter has these Actions in Common

    Antacid, Brain-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Raises-thyroid, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Refrigerant

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Flakes

    Coconut Flakes has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Refrigerant, Antacid, Brain-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Raises-thyroid, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Cream

    Coconut Cream has these Actions in Common

    Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Raises-thyroid, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Refrigerant, Antacid, Brain-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Oil

    Coconut Oil has these Actions in Common

    Anti-inflammatory, Nutritive, Refrigerant, Brain-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Livotonic, Raises-thyroid, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Almonds

    Almonds has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Brain-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Nutritive, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Jackfruit

    Jackfruit has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Relieves-burning, Quenches-thirst, Satisfies-stomach, Anti-inflammatory, Refrigerant, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Grape

    Grape has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Brain-tonic, Quenches-thirst, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Water

    Coconut Water has these Actions in Common

    Antacid, Nutritive, Brain-tonic, Quenches-thirst, Livotonic, Refrigerant

    LEARN MORE

  • Ghee

    Ghee has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Tonic, Antacid, Promotes-virility, Livotonic, Relieves-burning

    LEARN MORE

  • Honey Dew

    Honey Dew has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Relieves-burning, Quenches-thirst, Tonic, Livotonic, Refrigerant

    LEARN MORE

  • Sesame Seeds

    Sesame Seeds has these Actions in Common

    Promotes-virility, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Satisfies-stomach, Nutritive, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Coconut Rice

  • Amalaki

    Amalaki has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Brain-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Quenches-thirst, Refrigerant, Antacid, Stimulates-energy, Anti-inflammatory, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Oats, Fresh Milky Seed

    Oats, Fresh Milky Seed has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Brain-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Relieves-burning, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam

    Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Anti-inflammatory, Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Shatavari

    Shatavari has these Actions in Common

    Antacid, Anti-inflammatory, Nutritive, Refrigerant, Relieves-burning, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Licorice Root (Yastimadhu)

    Licorice Root (Yastimadhu) has these Actions in Common

    Refrigerant, Relieves-burning, Antacid, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Licorice Ghee (9oz)

    Licorice Ghee (9oz) has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Refrigerant, Relieves-burning, Antacid, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Ashwagandha

    Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common

    Brain-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Anti-inflammatory, Blood-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Shatavari Ghee

    Shatavari Ghee has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Refrigerant, Relieves-burning, Tonic, Anti-inflammatory

    LEARN MORE

  • Anantamul

    Anantamul has these Actions in Common

    Anti-inflammatory, Blood-tonic, Brain-tonic, Livotonic, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Bala

    Bala has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Tonic, Anti-inflammatory

    LEARN MORE

  • Punarnava

    Punarnava has these Actions in Common

    Anti-inflammatory, Blood-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Tonic

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

View Other Healthy Recipes for Summer

This recipe is recommended for Summer. Check out these other Summer recipes here.
VIEW ALL SUMMER RECIPES MORE VATA / PITTA RECIPES
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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. John, his wife Natalie and their 7 kids live in Asheville, NC

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Comments & Impressions of 'Coconut Rice'

Do you like 'coconut rice'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'coconut rice'?

(4.75 out of 5 stars) 4 ratings, 2528 likes
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“You can usually find dry coconut flakes in health food stores. In local grocery stores the coconut flakes are usually mixed with sugar and moistened. These should be avoided."
maria capriglione Knoxville, TN
2012-10-10
“If you have a mid eastern grocery store nearby they carry coconut flakes.... "
Laura Klover Lenexa, AZ
2014-03-26
“This is my new comfort food. Love it! Laura, 03/26/14"
Holly Mcspadden Ellabell, GA
2014-04-16
“I serve apples stewed in organic apple juice with the cinnamon and nutmeg or cardamom over this coconut rice. It is delicious! "
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