This delicious creamy rice recipe is inspired by dear my friend and Ayurvedic chef, Mira Murphy. In the Ayurvedic tradition, basmati is considered the easiest rice to digest, but you can use another grain if you choose. Coconut, cilantro, and cumin all pacify pitta and help to cool the body, so this is a great summer dish. Here I share two ways to prepare this rice dish. First, is the basic recipe and the second is a jazzed-up rice dish bursting with flavor. I serve the basic recipe with my black bean corn salad with chipotle vinaigrette. As you can imagine, the salad packs a lot of flavors, so I like the rice to complement the salad, not compete with it. The cooling flavors of the rice are a perfect complement to the spicy, smoky flavors of the salad. For the second recipe variation, I add cumin and lime which offer a bright intense pop of flavor to the creamy rice.

I serve the intensely flavored rice with more subdued dishes like grilled vegetables. I strive to create contrast and balance on the plate, so I roast veggies with olive oil and a dash of salt and then serve with the flavorful citrus rice dish, allowing the rice to brighten the entire plate.

Here is the basic recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup organic Basmati rice

2 tsp Coconut oil (just enough to cover the bottom of the pot)

1&1/2 cup organic coconut water

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup organic cilantro stems (rinsed and chopped)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cilantro leaves (rinsed and chopped)

2tbsp organic coconut cream (from a can of full-fat coconut milk)

Instructions:

Melt coconut oil in a pot. Add rice and gently heat the rice unit it becomes slightly opaque and glossy. Add coconut water, water, and salt to the pot. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is cooked. Remove rice from heat. Allow rice to cool for 10 minutes. Gently fold in coconut cream. Top rice with cilantro leaves and serve. This dish can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

Now for the Cumin, Lime Coconut Rice:

Ingredients:

Basic Coconut Rice recipe, see above.

1 tsp organic ground cumin seeds, crushed

Juice of one lime, at least 2 tbsp

Lime zest from one lime.

1/4 cup organic rinsed cilantro.

1/2 tsp salt

Add crushed cumin seeds, lime, salt and cilantro into a small blender. Blend. I use a Nutribullet for just about everything. You could simply whisk in a measuring cup, but I like to add it to the blender to finely chop the cilantro and create a lovely bright green vinaigrette. Taste it. Adjust the flavors as you deem appropriate. Stir the vinaigrette into the rice. The rice should take on a lovely green color. (see photo above). If you had too much rice and not enough vinaigrette don’t hesitate to simply make a second batch of the vinaigrette and add it to the rice. Top the final dish with a little extra lime zest.