We love rice. And not just any-old-white-rice either. Forget “boil in the bag” varieties. There are oh so many kinds of delicious rice. Long grain; short grain; brown; red; and black. Basmati; sushi; wild; sticky; and jasmine just to name a few. (There are apparently over 40,000 world-wide.) Each one has their own specific flavour and character, each one perfect for a different kind of meal.
Here, aromatic jasmine rice from Thailand blends with pungent turmeric and sweet apricots, making a sunny rice dish that would complement many a recipe.
5–6 dried apricots
260 g (1¼ cups) jasmine white rice
450 ml (1¾ cups) water
¼ teaspoon turmeric
- Chop the apricots into small pieces.
- Rinse and drain the rice in several changes of water, being careful not to break the grains.
- Place the rice, water, apricots, and turmeric in a rice cooker or in a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. Swirl the water to distribute the apricots and the turmeric. For best results, let it soak for 15 minutes before cooking.
- Turn on the rice cooker. If using a pot, cover and bring to a boil on medium flame. As soon as it boils, turn down the flame to its lowest setting. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the steam starts to dwindle, the water is absorbed,
and the rice is tender. Turn off the flame and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.