If you’re a fan of fried rice or Thai food, you’ll probably really like the hybrid we came up with for spicy Thai rice. It’s not really fried rice, since we didn’t throw any egg in there, nor did we add soy or fish sauce (though you’re welcome to), but it’s packed with flavor and the perfect accompaniment to any Asian dish you might be serving. Chock full of Thai flavors – lime, chili, basil, cilantro, ginger and coconut – this rice is ridiculously flavorful and has us seriously considering whether we’ll ever go back to plain rice.
One thing we did this time that we don’t usually do when making rice is use coconut oil instead of olive or vegetable oil. It’s subtle, but imparts just the right amount of flavor to the onion and garlic, which sets the tone for the rest of the dish. Feel free to use as many or as few chilis as you like, just make sure you add the fresh herbs, peanuts and ginger. Everything blends together deliciously and you will be blown away when you take the first bite!
Thai Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
- 3 cups water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 Thai chili or 2-3 New Mexican dried chiles
- 1/4 cup toasted peanuts
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4-1/3 fresh basil, thinly sliced into ribbons
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- fresh green onions, garnish, optional
Preparation
- Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sauté onion for 5-6 minutes, or until softened.
- Season with salt and pepper, then add garlic, ginger and Thai chili, and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Pour in water and add rice, then bring mixture up to a boil. Reduce heat to low, then cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until rice has absorbed all water.
- Remove lid and pour in lime juice. Fluff with a fork, tasting and adjusting seasoning, if necessary.
- Stir in peanuts, cilantro and basil, and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Taste