Coconut Rice…the milky way!!

Coconut Milk Rice...am ready for lunch...are you?

Coconut Milk Rice

Ingredients:

• Long Grain Basmati rice, 1 cup
• Coconut Milk, 2 cups (I use coconut milk powder and adjust consistency – neither too thick nor too thin, if using canned use 1 1/2 cup canned coconut milk and add 1/2 cup water)
• Onions, finely sliced, 2 large
• Green chilies, slit, 2-3
• Star anise, the smallest one you can find or use 2-3 petals
• Cinnamon, 1”
• Black peppercorn, 1 tsp, lightly crushed
• Salt, to taste
• Ghee/Oil, 2 tbsp
• Fresh Coriander, for garnishing

Instructions:

Wash rice till water runs clear and soak for about fifteen minutes. Drain well and keep aside.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan, add star anise and cinnamon.

After about 30 seconds, add crushed peppercorns, green chilies and onions. Cook till onions go soft.

Add rice and mix well (but gently) so that the every grain gets coated with the oil.

Add salt and coconut milk. Let it come to a boil, reduce heat to lowest possible, cover with a tight fitting lid and let it cook till all the water evaporates and rice is cooked.

Lightly fluff up the rice with a fork. Cover the pan with a thick kitchen towel and put the lid back on. Remove lid and towel after 10 minutes and serve garnished with chopped coriander.

Works equally well with both hot as well as mellow curries!!!

Notes:

• Just reiterating – for 1 cup rice, use the smallest star anise or only 2-3 petals of a regular sized one, so that the taste/smell of this spice doesn’t overpower the rice

• Don’t like star anise or don’t have it? You can use ginger instead – add about an inch long piece and then fish it out before serving

• You can garnish with fried cashews etc while serving.