Coconut-Raisin Rice Pilaf

evelyn/athens's Note:

Created for RSC 8. This is a great dish to accompany all your favourite curry recipes. If you're feeling lazy, you can use canned coconut milk, but I do encourage you to make your own, like Make Your Own Coconut Milk - the fresh, aromatic flavour can't be beat, and it's very inexpensive to make. This pilaf recipe was developed to accompany Curried Chicken in Coconut - Pumpkin Sauce. Please note that the recipe is not as caloric as the index indicates. It counts the coconut (used to make the coconut milk) twice - once in the actual pilaf recipe, and where I separately state how to make the milk. ;-)

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion , minced
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
• 1 ½ cups long-grain rice
• 2 cups coconut milk (method to make your own follows)
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• ½ cup desiccated coconut (dry)
• ½ cup raisins or ½ cup currant
• salt

To make coconut milk

• 8 ounces desiccated coconut (dry)
• 3 ½ cups water

Directions:

1. Make coconut milk: In a medium-sized pot, place dessicated coconut and water. Mix and allow to soak for ½ an hour. After ½ an hour, turn heat onto low and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave pot on element for ½ an hour. After ½ an hour, transfer coconut mixture to blender or processor and process for 45 seconds. Put a large sieve over a bowl and empty coconut mixture into it. Press down hard on coconut solids with the back of a spoon to remove as much coconut milk as possible. This method produced 2 cups of coconut milk. Can be made up to 2 days before recipe and refrigerated, covered. The milk will separate in the fridge, forming a creamy ‘fat’ layer on top, and a thinner ‘liquid’ layer underneath. Not to worry, the fat layer will melt into the liquid when heated and form a lovely milk.
2. Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper paste, mashing paste into the rest of the ingredients. Cook onion mixture until softened, but not browned, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in the rice and cook in the oil, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and add coconut milk and stock (careful - the pan will be hot!), along with the coconut and combine well. Taste liquid and add salt if you feel the stock didn’t provide enough.
4. Return to element and bring to a rapid boil. Boil uncovered over high heat until the level of the liquid is just above the rice, about 5 minutes. Cover immediately, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and simmer for 10 more minutes.
5. Carefully stir in the currants, cover pot, and continue cooking over low heat another 5 minutes without lifting the lid (total cooking time = 20 minutes).
6. Let the pilaf ‘rest’ for 10 minutes off the heat. Fluff the pilaf with a fork and serve with your favourite curry.

Reviews

[breezermom]

I really loved this....the bite of the curry paste is wonderful! I may have put a bit more than required in the recipe, but just loved it! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. Made for ZWT7.

[tara portee]

I enjoyed this very much, it was a nice compliment to coconut lime ginger baked fish, I had to cut the curry paste down to 1 tsp, I use canned coconut milk. It was actually pretty quick and easy, but made a regular mid week dinner seem a little special.

[Mikekey]

Excellent. I took the "lazy" route and used canned coconut milk. The curry paste and ginger gave it just the right amount of "heat". Served as a side to grilled salmon. Made for ZWT 7.