Coconut Rice Recipe

Coconut rice is a quick and easy rice dish made in a pressure cooker where the rice is cooked in coconut milk giving it a nice aroma and an exotic tropical touch. A quick one pot meal which can be served with chicken tikka or butter chicken.

The beauty of this dish is that it can be made really quick, a sure winner during those lazy days or when unexpected guests drop by....I made this for Sunday Lunch and served it with my quick chicken tikka. Apart from the exotic coconut flavor, what I love most is the milky white color. I have made this recipe into more of a fusion food; tropical coconut milk to cook the rice, with no Indian spices; just scallions or green onions for sauteing and garnishing; which gives its subtle aroma....at just the right level, and that gives more coconut flavor....and the reason I avoided Indian spices is because I wanted only the subtle coconut flavor to stand out....making it more exotic!! Need any more reasons for not trying this out!!

I served this rice with quick chicken tikka......the combination was OMG!

Author: Nisa Homey
Notes:
I used 2 cups of fresh coconut milk; you can use canned coconut milk or coconut milk powder (like maggie coconut milk powder)
I used 200 ml cup.
This also perfect for kids lunch box.
Ingredients:
Basmati rice: 2 cups.
Coconut milk: 2 cups; mix another 2 cups (minus 2 tablespoon) of water into it and stir, and keep aside.
Sacallions: 1 small bunch.
Ginger: 1/2 inch piece, slivered.
Lemon juice: Juice of half a lemon.
Coconut oil: About 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste (about 1-1/2 tsp)

Method:
Chop up the onion bulbs.

Wash and clean two cups of rice and leave it on a strainer. Pour 2 cups (minus 2 tablespoon) of water into 2 cups of coconut milk, stir and keep aside.

Heat a pressure cooker with coconut oil. Add in the white part of the scallions or green onions. Please simmer the fire.

And the ginger.

I allowed the onions to brown a bit, so that it gives out its subtle flavor. Pour in the coconut milk (4 cups-minus 2 tbsp), add the salt. Stir, and put the flame on high and allow it to boil.

Once it is boiled, simmer the fire and add the lemon juice.

And the strained basmati rice, mix well and check salt.

Again put the flame on high, close the cooker with its lid. Once steam comes out, simmer the fire for exactly 7 minutes and then switch off the fire, leave the cooker untouched for another 10-15 minutes. Do not put the weight on the cooker hob, for this menu, we do not need the weight. Meanwhile, chop up the green part of the scallions/green onion, we need this for garnishing.

Open the cooker after 10-15 minutes and sprinkle the greens....and yes the flavor is awesome...it transports you to an exotic island :)

A peek into my unglamorous kitchen while I was making this rice, I was simultaneously making quick chicken tikka, you can see the pressure cooker on the right side waiting......while the tikka is getting ready.