Name: Arroz de piangua (Colombian Pacific coconut rice with mangrove clam)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 500 g dry long-grain white rice, rinsed until the water runs mostly clear and drained; 500 g fresh shucked piangua meat from an authorized seller, drained and finely chopped; 400 ml unsweetened full-fat coconut milk; 700 ml water; 180 g ripe tomato, finely chopped; 120 g yellow onion, finely chopped; 100 g long green onion, thinly sliced; 120 g red bell pepper, finely diced; 12 g garlic, minced; 20 ml neutral oil; 2 g ground annatto (achiote); 7 g fine salt, divided; 1 g ground black pepper; 8 g fresh chillangua (cimarrón coriander), finely chopped; 8 g fresh purple basil, finely chopped; 3 g fresh poleo, finely chopped, optional; 15 ml fresh lime juice, or lime wedges for serving

Wide serving bowl of Tumaco-style piangua rice with coconut, herbs, banana leaf and lime.

Region Colombian Pacific; a regional rice dish associated with mangrove piangua

Category Coconut rice with piangua and aromatic herbs

Prep time 30 minutes active

Cook time About 40 minutes

Passive time 5 minutes resting

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Arroz de piangua (Colombian Pacific coconut rice with mangrove clam)

Tender, savory rice with piangua, coconut milk and Pacific herbs

Arroz de piangua brings together rice, piangua, coconut and aromatic herbs in a moist, savory dish from Colombia’s Pacific region. Piangua is a bivalve gathered in mangrove ecosystems and used across Pacific cooking. The rice can be prepared with different herbs and textures depending on the cook and locality. This home version keeps the grains distinct but moist, coats them in coconut cooking liquid, and distributes chopped piangua throughout so each serving has a little shellfish and herb in every spoonful.

Piangua is not interchangeable with a generic clam in the dish’s regional identity, even though a cooked-clam composition is the best available proxy for the nutrition estimate. The shellfish should come from an authorized seller; do not collect it yourself from an unfamiliar mangrove or shoreline. Recipes vary in how much coconut milk they use and whether the rice is drier or more atollado, or softly moist. Here, a measured blend of coconut milk and water gives the rice enough liquid to cook while keeping the coconut flavor present but not heavy.

The method first cooks piangua with a Pacific-style refrito of onion, tomato, pepper and achiote. Rice is stirred through that base, then simmered in coconut liquid and finished covered. Chillangua, basil and optional poleo go in at the end so their aroma remains fresh. Serve the rice hot with lime. If you make it ahead, cool it quickly and follow the shorter storage guidance for cooked rice.

Ingredients

Rice and piangua

500 g dry long-grain white rice, rinsed until the water runs mostly clear and drained
500 g fresh shucked piangua meat from an authorized seller, drained and finely chopped

Coconut cooking liquid

400 ml unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
700 ml water

Refrito

180 g ripe tomato, finely chopped
120 g yellow onion, finely chopped
100 g long green onion, thinly sliced
120 g red bell pepper, finely diced
12 g garlic, minced
20 ml neutral oil
2 g ground annatto (achiote)
7 g fine salt, divided
1 g ground black pepper

Herbs and to serve

8 g fresh chillangua (cimarrón coriander), finely chopped
8 g fresh purple basil, finely chopped
3 g fresh poleo, finely chopped, optional
15 ml fresh lime juice, or lime wedges for serving

Method

Prepare the rice and keep the piangua cold Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water is mostly clear, then drain well. Keep the shucked piangua covered at or below 4°C until it goes into the pot. Buy it from an authorized seller and keep it separate from ready-to-eat foods; wash your hands, board and knife after handling it. Do not use shellfish that has been left warm or has an off odor.
Build the refrito Warm the oil in a heavy 5–6 L pot over medium heat. Add the yellow onion, long green onion, bell pepper and 3 g of the salt. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften and look glossy. Add the tomato, garlic and annatto. Cook for about 5 minutes more, until the tomato breaks down and the mixture becomes thick and fragrant. Stir in the black pepper.
Cook the piangua thoroughly Add the chopped piangua and the remaining 4 g salt. Cook, stirring so the pieces heat evenly, for about 8–10 minutes. Check a few pieces with an instant-read thermometer; the shellfish should be opaque and firm and the center of the mixture should reach at least 63°C for 15 seconds. If the piangua releases liquid, let it simmer with the refrito rather than pouring that flavorful liquid away.
Coat the rice and add the coconut liquid Add the drained rice and stir gently for 1–2 minutes so the grains are coated with the refrito without crushing the piangua. Pour in the coconut milk and water. Stir once to distribute the ingredients, then bring the liquid to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for about 8–10 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and small steam holes appear across the surface.
Finish the rice covered Lower the heat to low, cover tightly and cook for about 15–18 minutes. The rice should be tender and the remaining liquid absorbed. If the grains are still firm, add a small splash of hot water, cover again and cook in short intervals. Avoid repeated stirring, which can break the grains and make the dish gluey.
Add the herbs and rest Scatter in the chillangua, purple basil and optional poleo. Fold them through gently with a wooden spoon, lifting from the bottom so the rice stays intact. Turn off the heat, cover and rest for 5 minutes. Fluff lightly and taste; add lime at the table rather than stirring in more liquid.
Serve and handle leftovers carefully Serve hot, making sure each portion includes rice, piangua and herbs. Add lime juice or a wedge to each bowl. If there are leftovers, spread them in shallow containers and cool the rice as quickly as possible, ideally within 1 hour. Refrigerate at or below 4°C, use within 24 hours, and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout, at least 74°C.

Practical guidance

Practical

Practical guidance

Buy piangua through a controlled source. This bivalve is linked to mangrove ecosystems and supports Pacific coastal livelihoods. Choose fresh or properly chilled, shucked meat from an authorized seller, and keep it cold until cooking. The recipe uses cleaned meat for convenience; it does not give instructions for harvesting or opening wild shellfish. Rinse and drain the rice well. Removing loose surface starch helps the finished grains remain separate. Let the rice drain while you prepare the refrito so extra rinse water does not change the cooking ratio. Use long-grain white rice and avoid quick-cooking or parboiled types, which absorb liquid differently. Keep the texture moist, not soupy. The first uncovered simmer lets the rice absorb most of the coconut liquid before it is covered. Look for small holes across the rice and little free liquid around the edges before lowering the heat. If the rice remains firm after the covered stage, add only a small splash of hot water at a time. Treat the herbs as a finishing layer. Chillangua has a distinctive, assertive aroma; cilantro can substitute if it is unavailable, though the flavor changes. Purple basil and poleo are Pacific herb choices that vary by availability and local preference. Poleo is optional, and the measured amounts keep the herbs aromatic rather than dominant. Use gentle folds. Once the rice is nearly cooked, lift and fold from the bottom instead of stirring in circles. That helps distribute the piangua and herbs without breaking the grains. Let the pot rest covered before serving so the last steam finishes the rice evenly. Cool cooked rice promptly. Rice can contain spores that survive cooking and may multiply if it sits at room temperature. Do not leave the pot on the counter to cool. Divide leftovers into shallow portions, chill them quickly, keep them cold, use them within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.

Final notes

Allergens: Contains molluscan shellfish (piangua) and coconut. Check coconut milk and other packaged products for additional ingredients or cross-contact statements. Food safety: Keep raw piangua at or below 4°C and separate from ready-to-eat foods; cook until opaque and firm and at least 63°C for 15 seconds. Cool cooked rice ideally within 1 hour, refrigerate at or below 4°C, use within 24 hours and reheat once until steaming hot throughout, at least 74°C.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 of 6 servings
Calories: 610 kcal
Carbohydrate: 80 g
Protein: 27 g
Fat: 21 g
Fibre: 3 g
Sodium: About 1,450 mg

Arroz de piangua (Colombian Pacific coconut rice with mangrove clam)

Ingredients

Rice and piangua

Coconut cooking liquid

Refrito

Herbs and to serve

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

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