Tag: coconut milk
Lemon Coconut Rice
This rice dish is found in most South Indian restaurants. I grew up in North India and although we ate South Indian food once in a while, I really didn’t get exposed to most of the cuisine until I came to the US- actually probably more after I married my husband- he grew up in the South. We usually go out for South Indian food now but I have started making some of the dishes at home. I love cooking with mustard seeds and curry leaves- they give any dish a very earthy aromatic flavor. I make this lemon rice dish as well as a lot of meat and seafood curries that are very popular in the South . I have stopped ordering lemon rice in restaurants now because I feel I have come up with the perfect recipe for this dish and don’t like how they make it in restaurants any more. It took me a while and a lot of tries to come up with the perfect concoction. I love the combination of the crunchy mustard seeds, peanuts and the two dals that are sauteed with the rest of the mixture. Citrus flavor from the fresh lemon juice is balanced really well with the creamy rice. Usually fresh coconut is grated on top as a garnish- I decided to cook the rice in coconut milk instead- as, fresh coconut is hard to get and the coconut milk flavor permeates throughout the dish making it utterly delicious. This dish can be eaten by itself or with a curry. I usually make toor dal , a fish curry or a chicken curry– whatever you eat it with, I can guarantee you will love it!
- 1 cup basmati rice (jasmine rice can be substituted)
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 teaspoons split urad dal
- 2 teaspoons channa dal
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2-3 dried red chilies
- A pinch of asafetida
- ½ cup peanuts, roasted
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Cook the rice with a mixture of coconut milk, water and turmeric. Cool the rice off once cooked and keep aside.
In a large wok like pan, heat the oil. Add the urad and channa dal and sauté for about 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and saute for another minute. Next, add the red chilies and asafetida. Add the cooked and cooled rice. Mix well. Add the peanuts, lemon juice and salt. Mix well and serve.
Poached Tilapia with Ginger and Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is one of my favorite ingredients. I try to use it in as many dishes as I can. I always have a few cans in my pantry. I usually buy the low fat version- the flavor is the same and you end up saving quite a few calories. My cousin gave me this recipe years ago and I have been made it quite often until a few years ago- somehow forgot about it. It is a simple and delicious dish that doesn’t take very long to make. I used Tilapia for this dish. Any white fish can be used- Tilapia doesn’t have a very strong flavor and so it doesn’t take over the curry. I was able to taste all the subtle flavors in there including the ginger, lime and of course the coconut milk. Mustard seeds are easily available in the super market especially the yellow ones- they can be substituted for the brown ones. The curry leaves are not so readily available unless you find an Indian store. One might imagine that curry leaves smell and taste like curry powder, but they are not related to each other. The leaves look a lot like small bay leaves but their aromas and flavors are distinctly different. The flavor cannot be duplicated so I would leave them out if you can’t find them. This dish goes best with plain rice and either a beer or a Riesling!
- 1 pound Tilapia, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 3 inch piece ginger, grated
- 2 serrano chilies, chopped- take the seeds out if you don’t want too spicy
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cayenne pepper
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- ½ cup fish or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ½ cup cilantro for garnish
In a wide pan, heat olive oil and add the mustard seeds and the curry leaves. Wait till the seeds begin to sizzle, about a minute. Add the ginger and chilies. Saute on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Add the onions. Saute for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Then add the tomatoes, turmeric, coriander powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Saute for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the coconut milk and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and lower the heat to a medium low. Add the tilapia pieces and poach in the liquid on the low heat, for about 10 to 15 minutes or till fish is done (careful not to overcook). Check for seasoning and add the lime juice and cilantro.