Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Coconut Rice with Broccoli and Fried Edamame


Plain white rice.  It’s a jumping off point for many who have just entered the kitchen.  It’s easy, it’s versatile, but let’s be honest, it’s also pretty boring.  So, how do you make it tastier?  You could go the down dairy drive, adding butter or cheese.  You could stop into sodium station for some soy sauce, Sriracha, or barbeque sauce.  You might even try to sweet talk it with a little brown sugar.  But what through me off my rice rocker was coconut milk.  
 Now, it won’t make your dinner taste like a plate of Mounds or Almond Joy.  Coconut milk isn’t super-sweet, and has only a faint coconut taste.  All the same, coconut milk gives rice a rich, meaty flavor that does not compete with bolder notes.  Although the flavor of the milk is considered mild, it adds a pleasant silkiness.  Add some aromatics like ginger, green onion, and garlic and you are on your way to a fragrant Thai-style curry.  
 This recipe was simple; it only took about 30 minutes.  It was hardly more involved than plain white rice, but with much more flavor.  The nutty, meatiness of the edamame complimented the tart lime, garlicky Sriracha, and hints of ginger that pecked through the smoothness of the meal.  Plain white rice, no more. 

Coconut Rice with Broccoli and Fried Edamame
Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 T fresh ginger, grated
1 (15 oz) can coconut milk
¾ cup water
1 tsp salt
2 T lime juice
1 cup basmati or jasmine rice
2 T olive oil
1 cup shelled edamame
1 tsp salt
2-3 cups broccoli, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 T lime zest
¼ cup chopped peanuts (optional)
Sriracha (optional)

Instructions:
1.       In a large saucepan, heat 1 T oil over medium heat.  Once hot, add green onions and ginger.  Cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. 
2.       Add coconut milk, water, salt, and lime juice.   Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
3.       Add rice, cover.  Turn heat down to low and simmer until rice is fluffy, about 15-20 minutes.
4.       Meanwhile, in a medium sized frying pan, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat.  Once hot, add edamame, toss with salt.  Fry edamame until golden brown and slightly crispy, about 5-6 minutes. 
5.       Add garlic and broccoli to frying pan, cook for about 3 minutes. 
6.       Add edamame and broccoli mixture to rice (mix well) in the last 5 minutes of cooking to steam broccoli. 
7.       Add lime zest to rice before serving.
8.       Garnish with peanuts and Sriracha, if desired. 

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