Fried Rice with Coconut Milk

In our household, we pretty much eat rice everyday.  Once in a while, if it is a birthday or someone has got a promotion or there is some reason to celebrate, we make fried rice - the Indian way, with coconut milk, cashew nuts and sultanas.  It is very easy to make and it is celebratory - and the simple rice is elevated to a celebrity status - especially when served with a rich curry on the side.  In this recipe, rice is cooked using the absorption method.  Always use good quality Basmati rice and remember the ratio of rice to water is 1:2.  That is 1 cup of rice and 2 cups liquid.

Ingredients:

2 cups good quality basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 15 minutes, drained and left on tea towel to dry.

5 cloves

4 green cardamom pods

2 or 3 2 inch piece cinnamon sticks

1 screw pine leaf (you can cut this, but I left it whole)

If you do not have screw pine leaf, use 2 bay leaves instead

2 tablespoons sultanas

2 tablespoons cashew nuts

2 onions thinly sliced and deep fried till golden brown and drained on paper towel

(Note: use half a cup of normal cooking oil, fry the onions till they just turn golden.  Add a teaspoon of sugar, mix well and take the onions out.  Doing this keeps the onions crisp.)

1 onion thinly sliced

1 inch piece of ginger – crushed in a mortar pestle

2 garlic cloves, crushed in a mortar pestle

½ a cup of ghee (clarified butter) (use a good quality cooking oil if vegan) You can also use a mixture of ghee and oil if you prefer.

2 cups coconut milk

2 cups water

Optional:  Take 4-5 strands of saffron in a bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of hot water.  Let it stand.

Salt to taste.

Method: 

In a casserole dish heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the sultanas.  Let them puff up. Take them out with a slotted spoon and keep aside.  

Add the cashew nuts and roast them till they turn light gold. Take them out and keep aside.  

Add 4-5 tablespoons of ghee.  Add the rice and saute till the rice gets coated with the ghee and becomes translucent.  Take the rice out and keep aside.  

Add a couple more tablespoons of ghee.  Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon.  Let it sizzle and then add the ginger, let it cook for a couple of minutes.  Then add the garlic and let it cook for a minute.  Add the onions and saute till it turns transparent.  Now add water, coconut milk, salt to taste, the saffron water and the screw pine leaf bay leaf.  Let the water mix boil.  Now add the rice. 

Put the lid on and reduce the flame and let the rice cook – it will take about 15 to 20 minutes.  If the top is too dry, just sprinkle a few drops of water.  When the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked, turn the flame off.  

Fluff up the rice using a fork.  Garnish with the friend onions, cashews and sultanas.  

Serve hot with a curry of your choice.

Here I have served it with Shahi Paneer.  http://kitchenanugraha.blogspot.com/2020/06/shahi-paneer-indian-cottage-cheese-in.html