serves 4
My wish list of ingredients for a fantasy rice dish includes the evocatively scented jasmine rice combined with flavorful ingredients such as Thai basil, hot chiles, coconut, and cashews. Feel free to make ingredient adjustments to suit your own fantasy. Diced baked tofu is a good addition.
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 scallions, minced
1 cup grated carrot
1 teaspoon fresh or bottled minced ginger
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups water
2 tablespoons tamari, plus additional to
taste
1½ cups jasmine rice
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
¼ cup firmly packed fresh Thai basil
leaves (see Note)
2 tablespoons roasted cashews
2 tablespoons shredded dried coconut,
toasted
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and carrot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and red pepper flakes, then stir in the water and tamari and bring to a boil. Add the rice, decrease the heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. A few minutes before the rice is cooked, add the peas and basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more red pepper flakes or tamari, if desired. Serve sprinkled with the cashews and coconut.
note: Thai basil is available in Asian markets. If unavailable, you can either omit it altogether or use another fragrant herb instead, such as regular basil, cilantro, or mint.
