coconut rice

There's a great Burmese restaurant in London called Mandalay. The coconut rice is amazing! I went to this restaurant in January 2005 during my first trip outside North America. While student teaching in Plymouth three years later, I searched out the address of Mandalay prior to a weekend trip to London. It was just as good as I remembered!

Channeling that coconut rice, I googled a recipe to serve with Thai green curry (spice packet from Carrefour, just like the tikka masala I've made to accompany naan). I found it too salty so the recipe below cuts the salt in half.

Cooking rice on the stove in China is nerve-wracking. The lowest setting on my burner is not a simmer, but a boil. To continue cooking the rice on “low" for 15 minutes, I actually turned the burner on and off intermittently, then left it off for the 10 additional minutes of standing time.

COCONUT RICE (serves 4-6 people)
from Food Network

2 cups jasmine rice
1 ½ cups water
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
½ tsp kosher salt

RINSE and drain rice in cold water. Place in a saucepan with water, coconut milk, and salt.

BOIL over high heat. Stir, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes.

REMOVE pot from the heat and let stand 10 additional minutes, covered. Fluff with fork and serve.