Lemongrass Infused Coconut Jasmine Rice Pilaf 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.

COCONUT JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• Stir coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt together in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add rice; bring to a boil, cover the saucepan, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes.

PINEAPPLE COCONUT JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a medium sized pot.
• Stir in the rice and reduce heat to low.
• Cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until water is absorbed (stirring occasionally),.
• In a separate saucepan, heat the coconut milk over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
• Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Add 1/2 of the coconut milk mixture to the cooked rice.
• Let the rice stand for about 15-20 minutes.
• Then add the diced pineapple and remainder of the coconut milk to the rice.
• Optional: added a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top of the rice when serving.

JASMINE RICE PILAF WITH PEAS, MINT, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Combine the rice and 6 cups of cold water in a pot. Sprinkle in the salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook the rice for 20 minutes, without peaking under the lid, the steam is most precious in cooking rice. When the rice has absorbed the water it will form "craters" or holes in the top.
• Let the rice sit off the heat, undisturbed with the lid on, for at least 5 minutes. This allows the rice to steam, with the bottom layer as fluffy as the top.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the blanched peas, green onions, lemon juice and zest, mint, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss gently, taking care not to smash the grains of rice. Garnish with pea tendrils before serving, if using.

COCONUT JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• Rub oil on bottom of pot.
• Put the rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in a saucepan on med high heat stir occasionally until it comes to a gental boil. Add brown sugar if you decide to go with that option.
• Cover 3/4 of the way with lid and put on a med low heat gently simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• When liquid is absorbed let it rest off of burner with the lid completely covering for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the lime zest if you decide to go with that option. Serve.

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.)