With Cinnamon and Cloves
I had this rice yesterday for lunch, with lentils. My kids don’t exactly love lentils so I tend to eat it at lunch time. I added some red chilli flakes and a slight scent of whole cinnamon and cloves. It tasted really good. Please make sure you add some good quality coconut milk if you attempt this recipe. I hope you’re enjoying your weekend!
Heat olive oil in a good sized pot. Add cinnamon and whole cloves and cook briefly until they start popping. (watch out for popping spices)
Add the rice and cook until fully coated with oil (about 2-4 minutes).
Add the water and coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a rolling boil, uncovered.
Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat, and leave undisturbed for a further 10-15 minutes.
Lift the lid
add the cilantro or parsley, fluff the rice
Serve as a side
Coconut Scented Brown Rice
Preparation Time: 5 minutes; Cooking Time: 30-45 minutes; Yields: 5 cups cooked rice.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cinnamon sticks broken into pieces
- 6 to 10 whole cloves
- 400g (2 cups) brown rice
- 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
- 1½ cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
- 2-4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro or parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and drain the rice (optional)
- Heat olive oil in a good sized pot. Add cinnamon and whole cloves and cook briefly until they start popping. (watch out for popping spices!)
- Add the rice and cook until fully coated with oil (about 2-4 minutes).
- Add the water and coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a rolling boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Turn off the heat, and leave undisturbed for a further 10-15 minutes. You can leave it longer if you want your rice to continue cooking (another 5-10 minutes).
- Lift the lid, add the cilantro or parsley, fluff the rice and serve.
Points to Note:
- Add 1½ cups liquid for every cup of rice.
- 1 cup brown rice yields 2½ cups cooked rice.
myfavouritepastime.com
My Favourite Pastime 
Hi Liz – Oh gosh, this would be great with some sort of curry stew dolloped on top! -Kat
I just had some for lunch today with some eggplant curry. Too good to be true!
Liz
Oh I want this with the lentils right now! The flavor sounds fantastic and we all enjoy lentils. I definitely would not have thought about whole cloves in rice. You are truly brilliant. You are really cranking out the posts lately. I’ll be happy to meet my goal of two a week. This week I even did the first already so one to go. Now to just decide what recipe…
This rice tasted really nice. I’ve added it to brown rice, repertoire. I want to try and post some 50 or so brown rice recipes this year. I’m posting a lot because I’ve stopped cooking. There was just too much food floating around so we needed time to eat it. I’m starting on a clean slate next week! really look forward to. Enjoy the week, we’re on a quiet March break.
Liz
I know I wouldn’t want the commitment it takes to run a good restaurant. What i have thought about… briefly.. was opening my ‘yellow farmhouse’ to people who wish to have a different sort of dining experience where the table is set in front of a roaring fire in the living room of an old farmhouse. so, instead of going to a restaurant, they set up a time and an agreed-upon menu for a small number of guests … and I make them dinner.
BUT – it would be tons of work and here in Western Mass. we don’t have the type of people who would want to pay for something like that. If we (I) still lived in NYC, or near Philadelphia or Providence… then it might work.
Then I’m back to ALL THAT WORK….. and how much profit would I make.
I LOVE to watch shows where the owners (usually a family) needs some serious help with their restaurant because the decor – and menu – are both from 1963 – and… the fridge is full of nasty, yucky fruit which is lying next to uncooked chicken.. and there’s grease caked above the stove… also from 1963!!
Oh yes those shows can make you discard your life long dreams. I’m not sure I’ll ever entertain the idea of a restaurant after watching them, plus am usually so tired after baking just three cakes in a day. Restaurant business is labour intensive and sometimes those ‘family like-businesses’ don’t even break even. The last one I watched was so disgusting, I am not sure I shall enjoy eating in small restaurants anymore. Still posting and watching “Worst Cooks in America”
Liz
Three cakes in a day!! No WONDER you’re tired girl !!
I was trying hard, to be a smart aleck….ha ha!
Liz
: o )
Nice healthy rice recipe. am sure you must have enjoyed hugely with lentils.
Of course, I love love lentils and I adore rice. I was on cloud nine!
Liz
🙂 🙂
I’m visioning this rice and then the senses take over and I can almost smell and taste it! My goodness who would have thought to do this? Not me! Thanks for always keeping us on our toes in the world of foods and trying new things. I’ve never cared much for brown rice so this might just be a new and exciting way to have it. I’m with you, lentils would pair nicely with this recipe! You have certainly been a blogging dynamo lately Liz! I’m feeling guilty that I’ve not done anything with my crafts blog since leaving for vacation, so must get back into that! thanks for checking into it all the time and your posting comments. At least it will now show on search engines! Have a wonderful weekend. The sun is briefly poking through the clouds here but I think it will mainly rain today!
Hi Sandy
I thought I would sleep in today but was up at 8.30am so I just decided to brew a huge steaming mug of coffee and continue with posting. It’s March break this week but I don’t think we’re going anywhere. I need a break because the basketball season starts next Friday then I’ll get so busy I probably won’t be posting much.
I’ve also never cared for brown rice but this year I’m determined to make it part of my diet, at least twice a week. This one tasted so good. I could just eat it on its own without the lentils.
I shall be visiting your blog more frequently. I just need to better plan my days, to avoid getting overwhelmed.
It’s sunny today. I am definitely taking a long walk before the day ends. Have a lovely weekend, Sandy. Thank you for being my best blogging buddy!
Liz
P.S don’t fret over posting. These are my posting statistics since December 2015: December (3 posts); January (4 posts) February (5 posts). I virtually did nothing for three months (LOL). time to make up!
Delightful!
Thanks!
Liz
Damn – this looks AWESOME. Wish my laptop had ‘Smell-a-Vision’! LOL I don’t know how you manage to post so often…. am I envious… hell yes! The Yankee Pot Roast recipe I posted yesterday took me a long time to finally have ready to hit ‘publish’…. You’re my hero Liz!! ; o )
Hi Cecile
I am just trying to catch up on my posting goals that were never met. Posting is darn hard, but I realized if I could just glue myself on the chair for 2 focused hours, it gets done.
I love cooking, I tell you, but posting is just not my thing. One day, I hope I’ll get a partner to post as I cook.
Thanks for complimenting me. That motivates me to keep on trying hard. Have a lovely weekend, my dear!
Liz
I agree… but even the cooking takes me a while ’cause of the photos. My husband always called me ‘a flicker’ because I tend to be overly fussy with certain things – but not with things like cleaning the house… at least not anymore!
And right now I have several things I have planned to post… but haven’t gotten to yet – just like you!!
PS I’d love to have a partner to photograph while I cook!!! ; o )
I have three IKEA cupboards full of food photography props because I wanted the best photos for my blog. It used to take me hours to match colours, create settings and take photos, but now I don’t use them anymore. I take photos of the food-period. I would say what used to take me 3 hours, now takes me 30 minutes tops!
Please advertise for two photo partners and swing one my way!!! I am just on my way to sleep as you know we’re losing one hour tonight. Oh how I have it when the clock moves forward, on days I have to be in the Gym at 8.00am
Have a good night
Liz
Well… I see you know exactly why it takes me so long to get the photos accomplished, although I don’t spend too much time gathering the ‘stuff’ needed.
I recently painted an old dresser (bureau) and changed the drawer pulls. The dresser is now in my newly painted dining room as a buffet and I’ve put most of my platters etc. that I use for photos in that.
Plus – with the idea of selling this house next year, I’ve been going through that stuff as well.
On another note, now I have one more thing to admire about you…. going to the gym at 8:00 in the morning. Hope you didn’t wake up too groggy from the time change…. I did… ; o (
I’m attending a luncheon in a lovely old carriage house in the town where I grew up. (The next town over. A friend of mine owns the restaurant which now resides there and the speaker will talk about All Things Holistic, so I’d better start organizing my day so I can get there on time.
Have a great day – and enjoy the fact the sun will be out one hour more!!!!!!!!!!! ; o )
Woke up very groggy but had to anyway. I’m now back home sipping my favourite cup of masala tea. I’ve been thinking of opening a restaurant, for a long time, but after watching several episodes of “Mystery Diners” and “Restaurant Impossible” I am not so sure anymore. Enjoy your luncheon and the ‘all things holistic talk’. It’s sunny here so I am not begging for sunshine today. Yellow house will be on sale. How sad.
Liz