Last fall when Jack and I visited some friends in Knoxville, they carried us to eat at a little Middle Eastern joint that served up all kinds of delicious food. Everything was delicious, but two things were stand-outs from our meal there - baba ghanoush, a delicious mash of roasted eggplant and garlic with olive oil, served alongside quarters of warm pita or sesame bread, and coconut jasmine rice, a light and savory dish with a subtle coconut flavor, which is a perfect, simple addition to many plates.
Baba ghanosh was easy. We found about a thousand recipes, and they all said basically the same thing. Our first batch was successful, and we've enjoyed it several times since then.
Coconut rice was more of a challenge, and the first few times I tried making it, we were less than satisfied with results - overcooked, undercooked, too sticky, too wet, too complicated...
After expressing my frustration with coconut rice failure on FaceBook, a trusted friend shared the magic formula - equal parts coconut milk, water, and jasmine rice. This is the time to go old-school and do like our grandmas did - use that can as a measuring cup!
Bring the coconut milk and water to a boil, add the rice, cover, reduce heat to the low end of medium, cook for twenty minutes, and you're good. At the twenty minute mark, check to make sure all liquid has been absorbed, slide the pot off the heat, and let it sit for ten more minutes. Occasionally the rice might still be "wet" at 20 minutes. If that's the case, continue cooking for about 2 - 3 more minutes, but watch it carefully to prevent scorching.
Uncover, and fluff the rice with a fork before serving (or eating directly from the pot with your fingers).
We've eaten this a number of times now, and it's simple, delicious, and perfect with sweet/sour stir-fry dishes. We paired it with Honey and Orange Glazed Chicken on my birthday, and the combination was stellar.
Give it a try!
