Christmas greetings, oh my goodness it’s only 2 days away. It’s one of my absolute favourite days of the year as my family spend the day with my mum, my sister and her husband, my brother and his wife and my adorable (my mum’s word) nieces and nephews. Cant’ wait.
I was just talking with my girlfriend Jules about salads and she mentioned making a rice salad. I’ve got just the recipe for a delicious rice salad that my darling sister-in-law Lisa makes every Christmas Day. I was going to send it over to Jules, but thought I would pop it on my blog, so much easier to share this way. Please excuse the photo, not one of my gifts.
Coconut Pilaf
Ingredients:
- 300g (1½ cups) basmati rice
- 2½ Tbs vegetable oil
- 70g (½ cup) slivered almonds
- 2 medium brown onions, halved, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cardamon seeds
- 6 whole cloves
- ¼ tsp chilli powder
- 500mls (2 cups) chicken stock
- 125 mls (½ cup) coconut milk
- Pinch of salt
- 75g (½ cup) currants
- ¹⁄³ cup roughly chopped fresh coriander, extra leaves to garnish
Method:
Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear.
Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the almonds and stir for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove almonds from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper.
Add the remaining vegetable oil to the saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom seeds, cloves and chilli powder and stir for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.
Add the rice to the saucepan and stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the rice is coated with oil and spices and is lightly toasted. Add the stock, coconut milk and the salt, stir, increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Remove the saucepan with rice from the heat. Remove the lid and sprinkle the currants over the rice. Cover with the lid and stand for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle the coriander over the rice and then stir with a fork to separate the grains and evenly distribute the currants and coriander. To serve sprinkle the rice with the almonds and extra coriander.
My very best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful joy-filled Christmas and much love and blessings to you for 2016. Thanks for stopping by and letting me share some bits and pieces from my world.
Much Love
Chris xx
