Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice {served in young coconuts}
This Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice is bursting with fresh coconut flavor (and all the other reasons we love fried rice).
Coconut lovers unite!
This also happens to be the first NEW recipe published on Lemony Thyme in a really long time. It took spotting these young coconuts at a local farmers market to bring me back!
It was a couple years ago while having dinner in a little Vietnamese restaurant that this recipe inspiration was born.
Imagine my delight when my order of shrimp fried rice arrived table side peaking out of a fresh young whole coconut. I was smitten before taking the first bite.
Flash forward to this past weekend when Nick and I experienced the Dekalb Farmers Market for the very first time!
This place is insane in the best way.
They have the most gorgeous (and often exotic) produce from around the world and on this particular Saturday they had a mountain of young whole coconuts begging to come home with us.
Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice
The layers of flavor in this dish are incredible.
- Begin with cooking the rice in coconut milk and fresh-from-the-coconut water
- Stir-fry rice in a little sesame oil
- Add all your favorite fried rice ingredients. Shrimp of course, but also carrots, scallion, egg, and soy sauce (I use coconut aminos).
Everything comes together quickly and is ready to be served in what I’ve now named Coconut Tandoori Ovens.
How To Open a Young Coconut
We made a video on how to open a young coconut. Check it out here —>
Young coconuts are full of delicious coconut water (bonus) and tender coconut meat that you can scrape into bites of your Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice!
And it’s amazing how nice and hot the rice stays in these individual serving ‘ovens’.
A few pics of the Dekalb Farmers Market glorious produce…
Long Green Beans 
Baby Artichokes 
Jack Fruit 
Gorgeous Eggplant 
HOT Peppers 
Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 each whole young coconuts
- 2 cups Jasmine rice rinsed
- 1 14 oz can coconut milk
- 2 cups coconut water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2-3 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 pound small-medium raw shrimp peeled & deveined
- 1 cup carrot fine diced
- 3 each scallion thinly sliced
- 3 each eggs beaten
- 2-3 Tbsp coconut aminos or Soy Sauce
- salt & pepper to taste
- cilantro to garnish
Instructions
For the Coconuts
- Remove tops of coconuts leaving a 3-4 inch opening. Reserve coconut water. See video link in post.
For the Rice
- Rinse rice until water runs clear. Bring coconut milk and coconut water to a boil in a medium sauce pan, add rice and salt. Stir and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to rest undisturbed for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Can be made a day or two in advance.
For the Fried Rice
- Heat wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 2 Tbl. sesame oil and swirl to coat pan. Add carrots and scallion and saute 2 minutes.
- Add cooked rice and season with coconut aminos/soy sauce. Push rice to sides of wok creating a well in the middle.
- Add remaining 1 Tbl. sesame oil to center of pan, pour in beaten eggs and allow to set briefly before scrambling until cooked. Fold scrambled eggs into rice. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Spoon fried rice into prepared coconuts. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
2 Comments
Sarah
Love the tropical presentation!
libby
These were so fun to make and eat!