Go Coconutty For Goan Coconut Rice

Long time no post, and it's good to be back here. We'll be kicking off something special in the next couple of days so there's that. It's also been crazy around here since I haven't been able to post a lot of what I've been cooking. There are two reasons for that.  One, we've been working the the CocoaPlanet people helping to develop the entirely #glutenfree menu for their new CocoaPlanet Factory and Cafe which will be opening here in Sonoma very soon.

Also, there has been this:

Which has definitely slowed down my cooking... however, I am now back and it's with a recipe that calls for minimal wrist usage, Goan Coconut Rice.

I'm always looking for the best quality stuff to put into what I cook. I grow a lot of it myself but hey, I can't grow everything, especially rice. Awhile back I received  a sample of Himalayan Basmati Rice from Authentic Royal Basmati.

There are few scents I like more than the lovely perfume that comes from a newly opened bag of Basmati Rice, and the Authentic Royal Basmatii did not let me down in that department. From the moment I opened the package I knew I had a winning rice in hand. So, now what to do with it that involves minimal wrist stress, I decided  that Goan Rice would do the trick.

Goa, is a state in Southwestern India known for it's lovely beaches and tropical beauty. One thing they grow a lot of in Goa is rice. Another major Goan crop is coconut so why not put the two of them together? Instead of cooking my rice in a mixture of coconut milk and water I figured I'd go old school and make the dish traditionally using nothing but coconut milk. The combination was fragrant, delicious, and was on the table in less than 30 minutes, which makes it a great dish for a weekday meal. 

Goan Coconut Rice

Here's What You Need:
1 and 1/4 cups of Authentic Royal Basmati Rice
6 green cardamom pods
5 whole cloves
1 onion finely chopped
2 Tbs coconut or other vegetable oil
1 Tbs grated dried unsweetened coconut
3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of coconut milk
1 and 3/4 cups of water...(or you can make this rice as I did using all coconut milk)
1 cinnamon stick

Here's What To Do:
Chop the onion finely and set it aside.
In a small skillet dry roast the dried coconut until it's fragrant and toasty.

This only takes a couple of minutes.

Mix the garam masala into the toasted coconut  and set it aside.

Crack the cardamom pods slightly and set them aside.

Heat 2 Tbs of coconut or other vegetable oil in a pot.

When the oil is hot add in the cinnamon stick, cloves and cracked cardamom pods.

Let them sizzle for a couple of minutes. When they swell a bit and get aromatic add in the chopped onion.

Stir the onion around and saute it until it turns translucent, this takes about 5 minutes or so.
Now add in the rice...

...salt...

...and coconut milk, or coconut milk and water.

 Bring everything to a boil, then slap a tight lid on the pot, turn the heat to low and let look for about 15 minutes. Do NOT take the lid off while cooking.
After about 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the unopened pot stand for another 5 minutes.
now take the lid off.
Place the rice into a serving bowl.

Sprinkle the coconut garam masala powder over the whole thing.

Top with chopped fresh cilantro.

And you are done!
Give it a good stir to mix everything together before putting it on the plate.

There it is, rice that is sweet coconutty and delicious with the amazing aroma one can only get from Indian grown Authentic Royal Basmati Rice

My thanks to Authentic Royal Basmati for letting me try their rice and now I have another item to add to my shopping list! Coming up soon, more Indian vegetarian delights! Follow along on Twitter @kathygori