Rice Recipes - Festive Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb/2 2/3 cups jasmine rice

• 60ml/4 tbsp oil

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 onions, thinly sliced

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp ground turmeric

• 75oml/3 cups water

• 400ml/14fl oz can coconut milk

• 1-2 lemon grass stalks, bruised

For the accompaniments:

• omelets strips

• 2 fresh red chilies, seeded and shredded

• cucumber chunks

• tomato wedges

• deep-fried onions

• prawn (shrimp) crackers

Serves 8

---

Method:

1. Put the jasmine rice in a large strainer and rinse it thoroughly under cold water, Drain well.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan with a lid. Cook the garlic, onions and turmeric over a low heat for 2-3 minutes, until the onions have softened. Add the rice and stir well to coat in oil.

3. Pour in the water and coconut milk and add the lemon grass. Bring to the boil, stirring. Cover the pan and cook gently for 12 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and lift the lid. Cover with a clean dish towel, replace the lid and leave to stand in a warm place for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the lemon grass, mound the rice mixture in a cone on a platter and garnish with the accompaniments, then serve.

Note: This pretty rice dish is traditionally shaped into a cone and surrounded by a variety of accompaniments before being served.

Cook's Tip: Jasmine rice is widely available in most supermarkets and Asian stores. It is also known as Thai fragrant rice. It has a delicately, scented, almost milky, aroma.