Every time I come across a good rice recipe, my emotions are very similar to a dog that walks into a room full of tennis balls. With summer here and folks firing up their wicked grills, I figured there might be some of us who would like some summer rice recipes and this recipe absolutely shouts summer to me. Its a recipe that comes from Malaysia and is traditionally served with fried anchovies, sambal and freshly cut cucumbers and tomatoes. It pairs delightfully with seafood and the aromatics like coconut milk, ginger and pandan leaf, will leave you wondering how could something this simple taste so amazing.
Now, follow this recipe like a robot and this recipe will turn out just as good as mine or even better. But if you are one of those folks who has a hard time taking instruction, I have only one thing to say — May the Rice Gods be with you, Namaste!
- • Basmati rice — 2 cups
- • Coconut milk — 1 can, 2 cups
- • Water — 1 cup
- • Ginger root — 1/8-inch-thick 2 inches’ long
- • Pandan leaf or bay leaf — 1
- • Salt to taste
- The first step would be to rinse the rice to remove excess starch. To do this in a large bowl, rise the rice in room temperature water until the water runs clear. This should take about 2 to 3 rinses.
- Then soak the rice in water for exactly 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, strain the water from the rice with a strainer or colander and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
- Into a heavy bottom pan with lid (ensure its air tight), add the coconut milk, water, pandan leaf, ginger and salt. Give it a quick stir to ensure the salt dissolves. Turn on the flame to a medium, between 6 and 7.
- Now add the rice and make sure the rice is submerged in the coconut milk and water mixture. Place the lid to the pot and let it cook for somewhere between 20 to 25 minutes.
If your feel like there is some steam escaping from the pot, you can wrap the lid with some aluminum foil. The idea here is to help the rice cook in its steam. If the steam escapes, there is a very high chance that the rice could burn in the bottom leaving your rice unevenly cooked because of the loss of water. - After 20 minutes, check to see if the rice is cooked. If you think the rice isn’t, replace the lid and cook it for another 5 minutes.
- Now remove the rice from the flame and let it sit for another 5 minutes. Do not open the lid during this period.
The rice should be ready by now. Enjoy!
