Rocksugar’s festive rice
Total time: About 1hour Servings: 8 to 10 Note: Adapted from Rocksugar Pan Asian Kitchen in Century City. We show the rice garnished with chopped cashews. 2 cups jasmine or basmati rice 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 small (2-inch) stick cinnamon 1 whole star anise 1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed 1 whole clove 1 small lemon grass stalk, cleaned and bruised 1⁄ cup finely diced white onion
4 3⁄4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1⁄2 cups coconut milk 1 1⁄ cups water
2 2 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt
1. Rinse the rice in a colander and place it in a large bowl. Add water to cover the rice by 1 inch and soak it for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom, clove, lemon grass and white onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the turmeric, and stir for 10 seconds to incorporate. Stir in the coconut milk, water and kosher salt, and continue to cook until the liquid comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Immediately add the drained rice. Stir gently until the liquid comes to a simmer again, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Continue to cook over very low heat until the liquid has evaporated and the rice is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and gently fluff the rice. Remove the spices and serve immediately. This makes about 5 cups of rice.
Each of 10 servings: 242 calories; 4 grams protein; 34 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 10 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 0 sugar; 258 mg sodium.