Coconut Basmati Rice Pilaf Recipes

COCONUT BASMATI PILAF

Steps:

• Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well and transfer to a large saucepan with 1 1/2 cups cold water, cardamom, ginger, cilantro, salt and coconut milk. Let soak for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir a few times to keep rice grains from clumping. Cook uncovered, rapidly boiling, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the surface is covered with steamy holes, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat as low as possible and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the cilantro sprig, cardamom and ginger.

COCONUT BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, add water; bring to a boil.
• Add the rice and remaining ingredients; stir to combine.
• Return to a boil.
• Stir, cover; reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove cinnamon stick and dried chile.
• Stir to fluff the rice and stir.

COCONUT BASMATI RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Place rice in a large, nonstick pot. Cover rice with water and, with your hands, agitate the rice, releasing the starch. Pour off the cloudy water then repeat this process until the water is clear. Pour off the water a final time and drain rice in a colander.
• Place drained rice, 2 cups water, coconut milk, and salt in a large pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a fast boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer rice until just tender and liquid is absorbed, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add onions, raisins, and cashews. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
• When liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, fluff rice with a fork.
• Add onion mixture to rice and toss with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer to a serving bowl.
• TO MAKE AHEAD: Rice can be chilled and refrigerated overnight. Microwave for 3 minutes or until heated through before serving.
• NOTE: Substitute dried cranberries or dried cherries for the raisins for a different flavor boost. Rehydrate them in 1/4-cup warm water and then drain them before using in this recipe.

COCONUT BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups water, coconut milk, sugar, and salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to simmer, then stir in rice. Cover, leaving slight opening for steam to escape. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 12 minutes. Cover tightly, remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer rice to bowl; sprinkle with toasted coconut.

TOMATO AND COCONUT CHICKEN OVER SPICED RICE PILAF

Steps:

• For the rice: Soak the rice in 4 cups of cold water for 30 minutes.
• For the chicken: Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet in a single layer. Season all sides of the chicken with salt. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, use a pair of metal tongs to carefully add the pieces, skin-side down, to the oil. Do not crowd the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the skin is browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and brown the other side, another 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a clean baking sheet and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the garlic and onions. Add the red pepper flakes and some salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic and onions turn light brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the coconut milk, tomatoes and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up in a single layer in the sauce. Pour any juices into the sauce as well. Lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Taste for seasoning. Keep warm.
• To cook the rice: While the chicken is cooking, heat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• On a baking sheet, combine the cumin, fennel, cayenne and cinnamon stick. Lightly toast the spices in the oven, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter and onion. Season with salt and cook until the onion is translucent but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the spices. Drain the rice, reserving the soaking water. Stir in the rice and cook until you hear it crackling, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently stir in the reserved water. Season with salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until the water has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before "forking" it gently onto plates. Spoon the chicken and sauce over the rice and serve.

BASMATI RICE PILAF

Steps:

• To wash or not to wash rice? In the case of basmati, no matter what my preparation is, I always wash it. It cleans out any small particles and it also rids the rice of any starch on the grain. This starch makes the rice gummier when cooked.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, add the rice and 4 cups of cold water. Soak the rice for 1/2 hour.
• In a small bowl, add the cumin seeds, cardamom, fennel seeds, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Turn the mixture out onto a baking sheet and put it in the center of the oven to lightly toast the spices and awaken the flavors, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the spices to cool.
• Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the butter and the onion. Season with salt and cook until the onions are translucent but not brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the spices. Drain the rice but reserve the soaking water. Stir in the rice and cook until you hear the rice crackling, about 2 minutes. Gently stir in the reserved soaking water. Season with a generous portion of salt and bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat.
• Cook the rice over medium-low heat, uncovered and undisturbed, for about 8 minutes. Take a fork (so as not to damage the rice) and flake a few grains off to taste for doneness. It may need to be cooked another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to "rest" (as you would a roast beef) for 10 minutes before "forking" it gently into a serving bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, if desired, and serve.

BASMATI RICE WITH COCONUT MILK AND GINGER

Steps:

• Place rice in a fine strainer, and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup water, coconut milk, chicken broth and salt. Cover, and place over medium-high heat. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce and simmer until liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and stir in scallions and ginger. Add a little more coconut milk if rice is too dry. Season to taste with salt. Serve.

BASMATI RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Heat chicken stock in a saucepan until boiling; keep hot until ready to use.
• Heat vegetable oil in a 2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and bay leaf in the hot oil until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir basmati rice into onion mixture until rice is coated with oil.
• Pour hot chicken stock into the rice mixture. Season with salt; stir.
• Bring rice mixture to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue simmering until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat and discard bay leaf. Add butter and fluff the rice with a fork.

COCONUT RICE

Steps:

• In a big saucepan or casserole with a lid, gently soften the onions in the oil and butter.
• When really soft, add the rice and cook, stirring, for a couple of mins. Tip in the coconut milk with 2 cans water. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring, then cover, lower the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 10-15 mins, scraping the bottom regularly with a wooden spoon to stop it sticking. Check the rice: it should be sticky and creamy but not watery, and not quite cooked - still a bit crunchy. Tip into a big bowl that will fit in a microwave and cover with cling film. Chill until ready to serve, for up to a day.
• To serve, poke a hole in the cling film and microwave for 8 mins on High, stirring halfway, until piping hot and cooked through. Add some salt and stir through with a fork to break up the grains.

COCONUT LIME RICE

Steps:

• Rinse rice until the water runs clear; drain. Heat coconut oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir rice and coconut flakes for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, then add the coconut milk, chicken broth, salt and lime zest. Bring to a low boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and season with pepper.

CHORIZO PILAF

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Add the onion and cook for 5-8 mins until soft and golden. Push to the side of the pan and add the chorizo. Cook until lightly browned and some of the oils are released into the pan.
• Add the garlic and paprika, then the tomatoes. Bubble over a medium heat for 5 mins, then add the rice, stock, lemon zest and bay leaves. Stir everything together well and bring to the boil. Put the lid on and cook over a very low heat for 12 mins.
• Turn off the heat and leave to sit and steam for 10-15 mins. Stir through the parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.