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