Ginger-Coconut Rice

Cheri Clotiaux Stringer (originally from Caribbean cooking class at Faraday’s Kitchen Store)

Yield: 4 servings

This rice is from a Caribbean cooking class I took this summer. The chef certainly looked Caribbean — a beautiful young black woman with skin the color of caramels and dreadlocks covered with a bandana. But wouldn’t you know it, she was from Beaumont, Texas! I loved all of her recipes and have made all of them more than once since the class, including this one, so I’m sharing. (July 2006)

1 1/2 cups Jasmine rice, rinsed well
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 tsp grated lime peel
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in a large pot with a cover. Sauté ginger for one minute. Add rinsed rice and sauté for another minute. Add water and coconut milk. Bake, covered at 350˚F until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, 20-30 minutes. Add lime peel and fluff rice. Garnish with cilantro.

Alternate cooking method: Place all ingredients in a rice cooker and stem until done.