Hawaiian Luau Rice is a little sweet, a little savory and little bit tropical and the perfect cure for the dog days of summer.
We have had about 2 weeks of non-stop rain in Hong Kong. Sideways rain is the worst, especially when waiting for the bus. Men in business suits with their trousers sticking to their legs and women who thought is was a good idea to wear a white blouse are now thinking twice about their fashion choices on rainy days. However today, I see for the first time a little blue sky and break in the clouds.
Here is a view from inside a sampan riding near the Aberdeen fishing village. As you can see the sky is still pretty cloudy but occasionally there is a little bit of blue shining through.
Have you even had a ride in a sampan boat? Well lets put it this way, you are in a mighty little boat compared to all of those big cargo ships and if you are prone to seasickness then this is not your mode of transport. Are you in need of any dried fish parts for your recipes?
How about some wine to settle your stomach for the sampan ride?
I thought not so lets get on with the recipe...
Sometimes, I need to close my eyes and think of a happy place in order to make these dull and rainy days go away. That happy place is always some place warm and tropical with white sand beaches, clear water, and plenty of sunshine. Having your own virtual vacation to Hawaii, is the perfect cure for those long dog rainy days. So crack out those coconut bras and grass skirts and lets get cooking.
Hawaiian Luau rice is a fun and easy tropical side dish that goes perfect with fish, chicken or just by itself. You can go on your own mini little vacation right here in your own kitchen. If it helps set the mood, put on a little Jimmy Buffett music and pour yourself a Mai Tai and have a little luau.
Hawaiian Luau Rice is a little sweet, a little savory and little bit tropical and the perfect cure for the dog days of summer. This is a great little dish to bring for a dish to pass at a gathering or for your own gathering at home as it really is a nice accompaniment to so many dishes such. If you are looking for a main dish to go with your Hawaiian Luau rice, please check out Sensational Summer Citrus Salmon or maybe even our Tropical Spa Mango Chicken or even our Peking Glazed Beer Butt Chicken .
You are also going to love this Lemon Rice recipe from Masala Herb with a fantastic step by step video.
Hawaiian Luau rice is always best cooked with day old long basmati rice. Please take a click here to gather the basic concepts of making Pantry Fried Rice.
We just made another bowl this mid morning as was having a craving and this time made with "red rice" instead of basmati. It was mighty fine. Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend.
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Hawaiian Luau Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cups basmati rice
or 2 cups cooked leftover rice of choice - 1.5 cups water
skip this ingredient if you already have cooked rice. - 2 tablespoon coconut oil
(your rice will really soak up the coconut oil quickly so use a non-stick pan) - ½ cup onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger
freshly grated ginger (or can substitute with ¼ teaspoon dried ground) - 2 cloves garlic
minced - ½ cup ham
sliced thinly ( I used deli ham but you can exchange with spam or fresh ham) - ½ cup desiccated coconut shredded (Can use fresh coconut shredded)
- 1 teaspoon chicken powder
(gluten free) 1-2 teaspoons to taste (this is chicken bouillon in the powdered form) - you can also use chicken bouillon cubes and just crush into a powder and you can add to taste. - ¼ teaspoon white pepper
or to taste - 1 cup pineapple
chopped fresh (can exchange with canned) - macadamia nuts -
toasted crushed garnish - optional - 2 tablespoon green onions - 2 tablespoons chopped for garnish - optional
Instructions
- The day or two before, wash your rice thoroughly. Add 1 cup of basmati rice and 1.5 cups of water to your pan and cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork. One cup of basmati rice when cooked will yield about 2 and ¾ cup rice. Allow rice to completely cool and place in the refrigerator over night. (You can use other leftover rice as well like Jasmine or short grain rice.)
- Toast your coconut in a non-stick skillet until in is toasty brown. Set aside.
- Toast the macadamia nuts in a dry pan until toasty. Chop coarsely. Set aside. (optional)
- Place your coconut oil, onions, garlic, ginger in the pan until aromatic. Add the ham and cook quickly until lightly golden.
- Add your cooked basmati rice, chicken powder and white pepper and mix quickly in your pan until all of the rice is covered evenly with the coconut oil and seasoning. Add the pineapple, green onions and toasted coconut back into the pan and continue stirring quickly, just until warmed. Reserve a little toasted coconut and green onions on the side for garnishing.
- Serve on plate and garnish with toasted crushed macademia nuts, toasted coconut and green onions. Enjoy!
Hannah says
So fun and festive! This is such a great idea as a change of pace from basic fried rice, which is my usual go-to when I have leftover rice.
B says
the best rice to go with anything!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you dear for your kind comment. You bet - Hawaiian Luau rice is slightly sweet and savory making it perfect with so many main dishes or even all on its own. Wishing you a lovely day.
Petra V Holland says
Absolutely delicious. I made this for a Hawaiian Luau here in Southern California. Full disclosure, I did follow the recipe but decided to add egg and soy sauce. Just personal preference.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Petra! Delighted you enjoyed our Hawaiian Luau rice. Actually, quite like that idea of adding soy and egg. It reminds me more of Japan's influence on Hawaiian cuisine. Stay well and take care
Holly says
Had a hawaiian-themed party for about 65 people last Saturday, so was looking for hawaiian-ish recipes to serve. To say this rice was a hit, is an understatement. I've never been complimented on a dish so much as this one. Just finished sending the recipe out to many people who asked for it. My changes... left out the ham (we did a test run on this with the ham and decided it didn't add much to it, so left it out). Added all the green onion and toasted coconut into the rice instead of leaving some for garnish. Eliminated the macadamia nuts in case anyone had a nut allergy. Used jasmine rice. Followed the process exactly as outlined. This one is a winner!!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Holly! Your kind comment made our day. Delighted that your party was a hit and that everyone enjoyed the Luau themed Hawaiian rice recipe. 65 people is not a small feat - Congratulation's to you for pulling it off. Love all of your recipe changes to make it easier when serving a large crowd. Thanks so for spreading the word on our recipe. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter for all of our new recipes and updates. Stay well and take care