Golden Rice

Two recipes in one! Golden rice is a brilliant turmeric yellow and adds colour to any dish whilst coconut rice has a lovely delicate flavour. You can change the amounts, just keep to the ratio of two parts rice and one part water.

This recipe uses the absorption method, so you need a pot with a lid that fits, with a small hole to the steam escape.

Ingredients

• 240ml of long grain rice. (I use basmati)

For the golden rice;

• 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
• 3 tablespoons of ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds
• 480ml of water

For the coconut rice;

• 200ml of coconut milk
• 280ml of water

Instructions

Washing and Soaking the rice

Start by washing the rice to remove the excess starch. This helps make your rice lighter and stretches the grains. Put the rice in a large mixing bowl, fill with water and swirl the rice around. The water will become very cloudy. Drain the water, and repeat four or five times until the water is clear or you just get bored.

Add the water (and coconut milk for coconut rice). Let the rice soak for half an hour. Afterwards, if you are making coconut rice, pour the rice and water into your pot with a lid. If you are making golden rice, drain the rice, and reserve the water.

Frying the spices

If you are making coconut rice, skip this step. Heat the oil on a low heat in your pot. Add the cumin and fry until dark, but be careful not to burn them. Add the turmeric and fry for ten seconds, before adding the rice. Stir the rice until the spices are evenly spread throughout the rice. Add the reserved water and you are ready to steam.

Steaming the rice

Put the lid on your pot and bring the rice to a boil. Boil for ten minutes and then turn the heat down. After another ten minutes turn the heat off. Leave the lid on and let the rice steam for a further twenty minutes. When it is finished, fluff it up with a fork and serve.