Coconut meat is warming and moisturizing to the body and a good source of saturated fat for vegetarians.
6 SERVINGS
Most coconut rice recipes are rather heavy and labor intensive since they use coconut milk, which requires constant mixing while cooking to prevent it from separating. This recipe was inspired by one in Didi Emmons’s Entertaining for a Veggie Planet. It is really easy to prepare, light, and excellent served with a curry or any spicy dish.
2 cups white basmati or jasmine rice
3½ cups water
3⁄4 cup dried unsweetened coconut
4 cardamom pods, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
1 teaspoon salt
1. Put the rice in a bowl and, using your fingers as a rake, rinse under cold running water to remove some of the talc. Drain in a strainer.
2. Combine the rice, water, coconut, cardamom, and salt in a heavy, 3-quart saucepan or pot with a lid. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 13 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and craters appear on the surface. Remove from the heat and fluff lightly with a fork to separate the grains. Cover, let sit for 5 minutes, then serve.
VARIATIONS: Toast an additional ¼ cup unsweetened coconut in a frying pan over low heat until golden, stirring constantly. Let cool and sprinkle on top of the cooked rice before serving.
For a heavier and more intense coconut flavor, substitute one 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk for 1½ cups of the water and prepare as directed.
Coconut meat is warming and moisturizing to the body and a good source of saturated fat for vegetarians.