Coconut Vegetable Rice

Every once in a while I decide to surprise my boyfriend with some carb heavy goodness. Today was one of those days. This dish went straight to his heart and belly due to the richness in taste and mix of textures (his own words btw). It’s a crowd pleaser, to be eaten warm or cold and a hit at any summer picnic 🙂

Coconut Vegetable Rice

Serves 4, about 30 min

For the rice;

• 1 cup (2,5 dl) basmati rice
• 1 cup (2,5 dl) coconut milk
• 1 cup (2,5 dl) water
• 1 inch (2,5 cm) fresh ginger, grated
• 1 Bay leaf

For the vegetables;

• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt (I used saffron salt)
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small zucchini
• 2 small carrots
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1 stalk celery
• 5 big mint leaves
• A few sprigs of thai basil or coriander (or both)
• Oil, for frying

Make it like this;

1. Start by boiling the rice; Add the coconut milk and water to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. When boiling, add the grated ginger, bay leaf and rice. Give it a stir to mix and put the heat down to low. Place the lid on top and let it boil until ready, about 20-20 min without disturbing it.
2. While this is going down, start chopping your vegetables into small pieces and add them to a bowl. I like to split them into 4 lengthwise before chopping, but you do you!
3. Chop the onion and garlic and put aside.
4. Heat up some oil and a pan and add the spices. Let it fry for about 1 min, stirring once to let it evenly coat the pan.
5. On medium high heat, add the onion and garlic and let it fry while stirring every once in a while for 2 min.
6. Add the rest of the vegetables and half of the chopped herbs. Let it cook while stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn or get stuck to the pan for about 5 min.
7. Right about now the rice should be ready. How to know? Check if there’s any liquid in the bottom. No? Good to go!
8. Add the rice to the vegetable pan. Give it a few stirrs to mix well and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the rest of the fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste, maybe add a squeeze of a lemon or lime and enjoy 🙂