Lemongrass-Scented Coconut Rice
Serves: 5
Aurelia Collier
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
35
Spice
52
Sweetness
45
Sourness
41
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.1
Difficulty
Ingredients:
Directions:
1
Place the rice in a 1-1/2- or 2-quart saucepan
2
Fill the pot halfway with cold water
3
If any rice hulls or small twigs float to the surface, scoop them aside with your hand and discard them
4
Gently swirl your fingers through the rice until the water becomes cloudy with the rice's surface starch, about 20 seconds
5
Be careful not to massage the rice aggressively—you don't want to crack or break the grains
6
Allow the rice to settle for a few seconds
7
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
8
Repeat this process with three more changes of water
9
The water after the first 2 rinses will be quite cloudy; by the fourth rinse, it will be much less so
10
The water need not run completely clear by the final rinse—slightly cloudy is fine
11
Leave the rinsed rice in the pot
12
To the rinsed rice, add the tied lemongrass, the cooking water, the coconut milk, the salt, and the daun salam leaves (if using)
13
Stir well to combine, making sure that the lemongrass stalks and daun salam leaves are submerged in as much of the rice as possible
14
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
15
Allow the rice to boil vigorously for fifteen seconds, continuing to stir constantly
16
(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
17
) Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid
18
Continue cooking for 15 minutes
19
Don't be tempted to lift or remove the lid during this time—you'll lose essential cooking steam if you do
20
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to continue to steam, covered, away from the heat for an additional 10 minutes
21
Open the pot and discard the lemongrass and daun salam leaves
22
Fold the rice over gently with a spoon, distributing the aromatic flavors which may be concentrated in pockets in the rice
23
Transfer the rice to a deep serving bowl, fluffing it gently with a fork and lifting it into a high, peaked mound
24
Serve hot or warm
25
(If serving the rice warm, keep it covered with aluminum foil until then
26
) 1
27
Place the rice in a 1-1/2- or 2-quart saucepan
28
Fill the pot halfway with cold water
29
If any rice hulls or small twigs float to the surface, scoop them aside with your hand and discard them
30
Gently swirl your fingers through the rice until the water becomes cloudy with the rice's surface starch, about 20 seconds
31
Be careful not to massage the rice aggressively—you don't want to crack or break the grains
32
Allow the rice to settle for a few seconds
33
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
34
Repeat this process with three more changes of water
35
The water after the first 2 rinses will be quite cloudy; by the fourth rinse, it will be much less so
36
The water need not run completely clear by the final rinse—slightly cloudy is fine
37
Leave the rinsed rice in the pot
38
To the rinsed rice, add the tied lemongrass, the cooking water, the coconut milk, the salt, and the daun salam leaves (if using)
39
Stir well to combine, making sure that the lemongrass stalks and daun salam leaves are submerged in as much of the rice as possible
40
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
41
Allow the rice to boil vigorously for fifteen seconds, continuing to stir constantly
42
(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
43
) Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid
44
Continue cooking for 15 minutes
45
Don't be tempted to lift or remove the lid during this time—you'll lose essential cooking steam if you do
46
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to continue to steam, covered, away from the heat for an additional 10 minutes
47
Open the pot and discard the lemongrass and daun salam leaves
48
Fold the rice over gently with a spoon, distributing the aromatic flavors which may be concentrated in pockets in the rice
49
Transfer the rice to a deep serving bowl, fluffing it gently with a fork and lifting it into a high, peaked mound
50
Serve hot or warm
51
(If serving the rice warm, keep it covered with aluminum foil until then)