Lime Coriander Rice

We had this with some vegetarian chili and some Mexican style belly pork carnitas and it was really good. We had tortillas too, so this quantity was fine for six, but without the tortillas you might need to make a bit more. If you really like lime, you could add the zest and juice of another one as it was quite subtle. It would probably also go well with Thai dishes.

Serves 4 - 6

300g basmati rice
1 onion, finely chopped
sunflower oil
bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
salt
chopped red chili (optional)
juice and zest of one lime
2 1/14 cups water

1. Rinse the rice, then soak for about 15 minutes in cold water. Drain and rinse again.
2. Fry the onion (and chili if using) in sunflower oil in a heavy based saucepan until soft and slightly caramelized.
3. Add the rice and finely chopped lime zest to the pan, stir it around for a minute to coat with the onion.
4. Pour in 2 and a quarter cups of cold water. Add 1/2 tsp salt and stir, then cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 15 minutes, by which time the water should all be absorbed and the rice perfectly cooked. Try to avoid lifting the lid and stirring too often - once should be enough if the heat is low.
5. Once the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and coriander. Serve immediately.

Coconut Rice

Serves 6

1 tsp butter
good dash (about 1 tbsp)  sunflower oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
375g basmati rice
1 can coconut milk
1 bay leaf
salt

Soak the rice for 15 minutes in cold water, then rinse and drain in a sieve. Heat the butter and oil and saute the onion gently until softened but not too browned. Stir in the rice and coconut milk. Fill the coconut milk can with water and tip that into the rice too. Add the bayleaf and a little salt. Give it a good stir, cover and bring to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. If the liquid absorbs too quickly, before the rice has cooked, add a couple of splashes of boiling water as it cooks.

This went really well with the salmon with Thai spiced cashew and coconut topping.