Kiribath

Name: Kiribath
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 400 g short-grain rice; 800 ml water; 400 ml coconut milk; 1 tsp salt; 1 red onion, finely chopped (optional); 1 tbsp red chilli flakes (optional); 1 tbsp lime juice (optional)

Vegetarian

කිරිබත් · kiribath

Rice cooked soft and then simmered with thick coconut milk until creamy, pressed into a tray and cut into diamonds. The auspicious first meal of Sinhala and Tamil New Year and of many first-of-the-month mornings.

Kiribath is a Sri Lankan rice dish, ready in about 55 minutes and made with short-grain rice and coconut milk. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

A serving of Kiribath — Photo: KavindaF / Pixabay · Pixabay Content License

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 35 min
Rest: 15 min
Total: 55 min
Serves: 6
Level: Easy
Calories: 367

Ingredients

6 servings

400 g Short-grain rice (opens in a new tab)Short-grain white (samba or kekulu) rice.Swap: Red rice (Red kekulu rice is also used; cook longer.)
800 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
400 ml Coconut milk (opens in a new tab)Thick (first-pressed) coconut milk.
1 tsp (6 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)

Lunu miris (to serve)

1 (110 g) Red onion (opens in a new tab), finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp (5.5 g) Red chilli flakes (opens in a new tab) (optional)
1 tbsp (15 g) Lime juice (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Saucepan (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Rinse the rice and cook it in the water, covered, until very soft and the water is absorbed.
- 20 min
- medium-low heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Stir in the coconut milk (opens in a new tab) and salt and cook, stirring often, until the rice is thick, creamy and pulls away from the sides.
- 12 min
- low heat
3
Step 3
Spread on a flat plate or tray to about 2 cm thick, smooth the top with the back of a banana leaf or oiled spoon, and cool slightly.
- 15 min
4
Step 4
Cut into diamonds. For lunu miris, pound or mix the onion, chilli flakes (opens in a new tab), lime juice (opens in a new tab) and a pinch of salt to a coarse relish.
- 3 min
How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Sri Lanka · Well documentedMore food from Sri Lanka
Dish: Breakfast · Rice dishes
Cooking method: Boiled, Simmered
Taste: creamy, mild, salty
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
With the listed swaps: Whole-food focusedWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Festive & celebration · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Short-grain rice · Coconut milk
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

367 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 266 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

Protein 6%
Carbohydrate 59%
Fat 35%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	367 kcal	138 kcal
Protein	5.7 g	2.1 g
Carbohydrate	54.6 g	20.5 g
Net carbohydrate	—	—
Sugars	—	—
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	—	—
Fat	14.3 g	5.4 g
Saturated fat	12.5 g	4.7 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	400 mg	150 mg
Salt equivalent	1 g	0.4 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 194 mg
Calcium: 27 mg
Iron: 2.7 mg
Magnesium: 48 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): —
Vitamin C: 1 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 13 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: red onion, red chilli flakes, lime juice.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

A slightly overcooked, sticky rice gives the smoothest, most cohesive kiribath.

Common mistakes

Adding the coconut milk before the rice is fully soft — the rice stays hard in the centre.

Serve with

Serve with lunu miris, seeni sambol or a fish curry, or sweet with jaggery and bananas.

Storage

Best the same day; refrigerate leftovers for 1 day.

Reheating

Steam briefly to soften.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Seeni sambolRelishes

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Short-grain rice400 g

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

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