SMOKED BASMATI COCONUT RICE

I love food markets—the more exotic, the better. Wherever I travel, one of my first trips is always to the local market. Luckily, here in New York, we have a few markets that seem to carry whatever obscure ingredient you can imagine.

One of my favorite places to shop aimlessly is Kalustyan’s on Lexington Avenue. They carry spices and groceries from every corner of the world with an emphasis on Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines. If you need dried galangal from Malaysia or Persian zereshk, they’ve probably got that. Curious about their myriad of rices, I picked up a bag of their smoked basmati rice and played around with it. The smokiness of the rice pairs surprisingly well with the sweetness from the coconut. I usually serve this with a curry or Asian style fish.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

1 ½ cups coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups smoked basmati rice

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ cup currents

¼ cup sweet shredded coconut

zest of one lemon

¼ cup thinly sliced green onion

PREPARATION

In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, broth, rice, salt, currents and shredded coconut. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, turn down the heat and simmer for about 18 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat, then let stand covered for 5 to 10. Fluff the rice with a fork, then gently stir in the lemon zest and green onion.