Lemongrass Coconut Rice Food

LEMONGRASS INFUSED COCONUT JASMINE RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Toast angel hair in toaster oven on light toast setting. Keep a close eye being careful not to burn.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in the rice and toasted angelhair and salt.
• Add the coconut milk, water and lemongrass.
• Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes (do not uncover or stir while it cooks).
• Remove from heat and discard lemongrass before serving.

CHICKEN WITH LEMONGRASS & COCONUT

Steps:

• Tip all the ingredients except the chicken, lime juice and herbs into a pan, bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered at a relaxed bubble for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Stir in the lime juice, then scatter over the herbs before serving with rice.

COCONUT LEMONGRASS CHICKEN

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat.
• Add half the onion and all of the garlic and cook, until they both begin to soften, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add salt, pepper, sugar, ginger and chicken.
• Cook until the sugar melts and chicken begins to brown, approximately 15 minutes.
• Add the rest of the onion, chile peppers, lemon grass, curry powder, soy sauce, fish sauce (or Worcestershire sauce), and the coconut milk.
• Stir, lower heat to medium-low and cover.
• Cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, about 10 minutes.
• Remove lid and simmer until the sauce thickens and the chicken is tender, about 10 more minutes.
• Serve warm over a bed of rice noodles, or whatever plain starch you prefer.

LEMONGRASS-SCENTED COCONUT RICE

Steps:

• 1. Place the rice in a 1-1/2- or 2-quart saucepan. Fill the pot halfway with cold water. If any rice hulls or small twigs float to the surface, scoop them aside with your hand and discard them. Gently swirl your fingers through the rice until the water becomes cloudy with the rice's surface starch, about 20 seconds. Be careful not to massage the rice aggressively-you don't want to crack or break the grains. Allow the rice to settle for a few seconds. Tilt the pot over a sink and drain out all the water, cupping the rice with your hand to prevent it from spilling out of the pot. Repeat this process with three more changes of water. The water after the first 2 rinses will be quite cloudy; by the fourth rinse, it will be much less so. The water need not run completely clear by the final rinse-slightly cloudy is fine. Leave the rinsed rice in the pot.
• 2. To the rinsed rice, add the tied lemongrass, the cooking water, the coconut milk, the salt, and the daun salam leaves (if using). Stir well to combine, making sure that the lemongrass stalks and daun salam leaves are submerged in as much of the rice as possible.
• 3. Place the pot over high heat and, stirring constantly with a large spoon to prevent the rice at the bottom of the pot from scorching or burning, bring the liquid to a rolling, noisy boil. Allow the rice to boil vigorously for fifteen seconds, continuing to stir constantly. (It's essential that you stir constantly, otherwise the fats and proteins in the coconut milk will cause the rice at the bottom of the pot to become gummy and stick together, which will ultimately lead to the final dish having a scorched or burned bottom layer.) Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Don't be tempted to lift or remove the lid during this time-you'll lose essential cooking steam if you do.
• 4. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to continue to steam, covered, away from the heat for an additional 10 minutes.
• 5. Open the pot and discard the lemongrass and daun salam leaves. Fold the rice over gently with a spoon, distributing the aromatic flavors which may be concentrated in pockets in the rice. Transfer the rice to a deep serving bowl, fluffing it gently with a fork and lifting it into a high, peaked mound. Serve hot or warm. (If serving the rice warm, keep it covered with aluminum foil until then.)