Celebration Yellow Rice
- 2 cups (14 ounces/400 grams) jasmine rice
- 1 1/2 cups (12 fluid ounces/375 milliliters) water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces/250 milliliters) unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 thick stalks fresh lemongrass, each tied into a knot
- 3 whole fresh or thawed, frozen kaffir lime leaves, gently crumpled with your hands to release their essence
- 4 fresh or thawed, frozen daun pandan leaves, each tied into a knot or torn in half (optional)
- 4 whole daun salam leaves
- Place the rice in a 1 1/2 - or 2-quart (5 or 2-liter) saucepan.
- Fill the pot halfway with cold water.
- If any rice hulls or small twigs float to the surface, scoop them aside with your hand and discard them.
- Gently swirl your fingers through the rice until the water becomes cloudily from the surface starch on the rice grains, about 20 seconds.
- Be careful not to massage the rice aggressively.
- You dont want to crack or break the grains.
- Allow the rice to settle for a few seconds.
- Tilt the pot over a sink and drain out all the water, cupping the rice with your hand to prevent it from spilling out of the pot.
- Repeat this process with 3 more changes of water.
- The water after the first 2 rinses will be quite cloudy; by the fourth rinse, it will be much less so.
- The water need not run completely clear by the final rinse slightly cloudy is fine.
- Leave the rinsed rice in the pot.
- In a bowl, combine the cooking water and the turmeric, and stir well to combine.
- Add the turmeric-water mixture, coconut milk, salt, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and the daun pandan and saun salam leaves (if using) to the rinsed rice.
- Stir well to combine, making sure that the lemongrass stalks and all the leaves are as fully submerged in the rice as possible.
- Place the pot over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil, stirring with a large spoon to prevent the rice at the bottom of the pot from scorching or burning.
- Dont worry if the liquid thickens considerably as it comes to a boil.
- This is a result of the fats in the coconut milk combining with the starch in the rice.
- Also dont worry if the lemongrass knots become unraveled from the stirring.
- The finished rice will still be fine.
- Allow the rice to boil for 15 seconds, continuing to sir to prevent the rice from scorching or burning.
- Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid.
- Continue cooking for 15 minutes.
- Dont be tempted to lift or remove the lift during this time.
- Youll lose essential cooking steam if you do.
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to continue to steam, covered, away from the heat for an additionally 10 minutes.
- Open the pot and discard the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and the daun pandan and daun salam leaves (if used).
- Gently fold the rice over with a spoon, evenly distributing the aromatic flavors that may be concentrated in pockets in the rice.
- Transfer the rice to a deep serving bowl and fluff it well with a fork, lifting it into a peaked mound.
- Serve hot or warm.
- (If serving the rice warm, keep it covered with aluminum foil until then.)
water, ground turmeric, milliliters, kosher salt, lime, salam leaves
Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/celebration-yellow-rice (may not work)