Guyanese Shine Rice

Guyanese shine rice is a simple yet flavorful rice dish. It is made with white rice simmered in coconut milk and aromatics until perfectly fluffy. This vegan Caribbean rice dish gets a delicious flavor boost with the option to add dried shrimp or salted fish (salt fish).

Guyanese Shine Rice

Shine rice is rooted in simplicity. Commonly considered as a “poor man’s food,” this dish is made with just a few simple ingredients. While it’s tasty as is, I love to add something savory like dried shrimp or salt fish to deepen the flavor and make this dish even more filling.

The recipe is like a stripped-down version of Guyanese cook-up rice. If you want to add more ingredients to the pot, consider trying my Callaloo Cook-Up Rice or Chicken Cook-Up Rice next.

Why You’ll Love This Guyanese Shine Rice Recipe

• Simple: This is a great recipe to make when you’re running low on ingredients because it’s made with just a few simple ingredients.
• Versatile: Shine rice is delicious on its own but it’s really easy to add protein to the dish to make it even more satisfying.
• Comfort Meal: Served hot and fluffy with plenty of aromatic flair, this recipe is a bowl of nourishing comfort.

What is Guyanese Shine Rice?

Shine rice is a Guyanese dish made with oil, rice, coconut milk, and aromatics like onion, garlic, and wiri wiri pepper. It is the dish my you typically make when you have nothing, but a dried coconut, some rice and some seasoning. It is not meant to be fancy but it is rich with umami flavor. My grandmother made the most delicious shine rice. Her trick was to boil the coconut milk with the aromatics, until some of the fat curdles separated, before adding in the rice.

Ingredients for Shine Rice

Add oil, onions, garlic, peppers, salt, and coconut milk to a pot and you have the beginnings of a delicious Guyanese rice.

• Coconut oil: Use this to sauté the onions and garlic, providing a flavorful base for the rice. You can use vegetable oil or canola oil as substitutes.
• Yellow onion: This adds a sweet and savory taste to the dish.
• Kosher salt: This enhances the overall flavor.
• Garlic cloves: Mince the garlic finely to ensure it distributes evenly throughout the rice and releases its flavor during cooking.
• Wiri wiri peppers: Add these peppers, finely chopped with the seeds removed for the fruity flavor and subtle heat.
• Canned coconut milk: This enriches the rice and gives it a creamy quality. Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest results.
• Rice: I love the fragrance Jasmine rice adds to this recipe but long grain white rice also works really well.
• Water: Add this liquid to cook the rice.
• Salt fish: This adds a savory, salty, umami rich flavor to the rice.
• Dried shrimp: This optional ingredient adds briny flavor. Remember to rinse them.
• Scallion: This is a fresh, finishing touch.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Shine Rice

Add the coconut oil to a deep skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are translucent and a bit soft. This should take just a minute or two.

Then add the garlic, wiri wiri peppers, and coconut milk. Bring everything to a boil and continue to boil for about 5 minutes so that some of the fat solids from the coconut milk separates from the liquids.

Add the rice, 2 cups of water, and salt fish or dried shrimp (if using) then mix well. If using salt fish or dried shrimp, add before adding additional salt. Taste the dish and add more salt if needed. Add the remaining salt if needed.

Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is fully cooked but still has a small amount of liquid or wetness. The rice should not look dry and loose. Mix everything together. It should look soft but not mushy, almost like risotto.

Remove from the heat and add in the scallions. The residual heat from the pot will continue to dry out the rice as it cools.

Serve warm and enjoy.

Storage

Once the rice has cooled down (within 2 hours of cooking), store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. Consume within 4 days.

To reheat, warm it up covered in the microwave over medium heat. The oils from the coconut milk will melt and bring it back it its fluffy texture.

Tips for the Best Guyanese Shine Rice

• Don’t rush the cooking process for the onions. Cook them until they’re translucent and slightly softened to ensure a flavorful base for the rice.
• Be careful not to burn the garlic while sautéing to prevent bitterness.
• Rinse the rice a little before cooking. Typically when making rice we want to rinse until the water runs clear to remove all of the residual starch, but for shine rice I just rinse twice, keeping some of the starch to help with the texture of the dish.
• If you opt for saltfish, soak it in water overnight to remove as much salt as possible. Then soak it in a cup of hot water for about 30 minutes before cooking. Drain and rinse again, then flake with a fork and set aside.
• Aim for a creamy consistency with a small amount of liquid remaining, similar to risotto. The rice should be fully cooked but not dry, with a soft and slightly moist texture.
• Allow the rice to rest off the heat for a few minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and any excess liquid to be absorbed, resulting in a more cohesive and flavorful dish.

Frequently Asked Questions