While this recipe takes a little planning due to an ingredient or two that you might not have in your pantry, I think it’s worth planning ahead for. It requires coconut milk and scallions which I didn’t have on hand so I added them to my weekly grocery list. I finally had the chance to try it out this week. Enjoy!
One-Pot Turmeric coconut Rice With Greens, recipe courtesy of NY Times Cooking
Ingredients:
2cups long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati
½cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1tablespoon white or black sesame seeds
2tablespoons coconut oil
1scallion, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1teaspoon ground turmeric
½teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
1(14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
Pinch of saffron (optional)
Kosher salt
1medium bunch kale, spinach or Swiss chard
1lime
Directions:
Rinse rice until water runs clear. Drain and set aside.
In a medium pot or Dutch oven, toast the coconut and sesame seeds over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning.) Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out the pot.
In the same pot, melt the coconut oil over medium-low. Add the scallion whites, turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook, stirring, until aromatic and lightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the rice, coconut milk, saffron (if using), and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Fill the empty can of coconut milk with water and add it to the pot. Give the mixture a good stir to separate any lumps and bring to a boil over medium-high.
Once boiling, cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
As rice cooks, remove and discard the tough stems of the leafy greens, if needed, and cut or tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. When the rice has cooked for 10 minutes, arrange the greens on top of the rice in an even layer and season well with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until the rice is tender, 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes.
As rice rests, zest the lime and cut it into 4 wedges. Add 1/2 teaspoon zest to the coconut-sesame mixture, along with the scallion greens. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Gently stir the greens into the rice using a spatula or fork, season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls. Sprinkle the coconut mixture on top and serve with a lime wedge for squeezing over.