Creamy Coconut-Lime Rice With Peanuts
Coconut milk does double duty here in this light yet hearty rice dish that straddles the line between side salad and pilaf-like main. First the rice is simmered in creamy coconut milk, then the remaining milk is used to make a soothing dressing spiked with lime juice, peanut butter, toasted peanuts and garlic, with a little added heat from chile sauce. Fresh cherry tomatoes and chopped herbs turn it all into a rice salad that can be a flavorful side for grilled chicken or the base for fried eggs.
Ingredients
- 1 cupuncooked jasmine rice, rinsed
- 1can coconut milk
- salt and pepper
- 1piece ginger
- 2 largegarlic cloves
- 2limes
- ½ cuproasted and salted peanuts, crushed
- 2 tablespoonspeanut butter
- 2 teaspoonsgranulated sugar
- 2 teaspoonssambal oelek
- 2 cupsripe cherry tomatoes, halved (about 10 ounces)
- 1 cuproughly chopped mixed herbs (such as dill, cilantro or mint)
Directions
- 1
Cook the rice according to the packaging instructions until tender, replacing 1 1/4 cups of the cooking water with 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork, transfer to a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper — it should taste well-seasoned and almost buttery — and let cool.
- 2
While the rice is cooking, add 1/4 cup coconut milk to another bowl. Finely grate the ginger and garlic into the bowl, followed by the zest of 1 lime. Then, juice both limes into the bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the peanuts, the peanut butter, sugar and sambal and season with salt.
- 3
When ready to serve, add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the herbs to the bowl with the rice. Pour in the coconut dressing, toss well to coat, season with pepper and top with remaining 1/4 cup crushed peanuts and 1/4 cup herbs. For the best flavor, serve at room temperature the day it’s made.