A simple dish, but its flavors are most definitely not!
Curry leaves, man.
The first time I had them I was in the south of India, visiting a tea plantation with a friend. We got lost inside. And I mean deep in the fields lost. For THREE HOURS. We always laugh at what fools we were! But finding our way out was the ultimate salvation, not because we finally knew where we were, but because we had found a small vendor selling taro and coconut chips with curry leaves. And we were HOOKED. These leaves pack crazy flavor. They’re a little hard to find but you can also make this dish without the leaves. The coconut milk adds a sweet nutty flavor, which contrasts nicely with the bite of the mustard seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice- rinsed 3 times
- 1 tablespoon safflower or sunflower oil
- 10 fresh curry leaves (if you can’t find them, just do the recipe without them…the coconut milk and mustard seeds are great together)
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 large pinch of salt
- 2 cups coconut milk
Directions
1. In a pot, heat up the oil. Place the mustard seeds in. When they start to pop add in the basmati rice. Stir a little to coat the rice with the oil and to distribute the mustard seeds. Add in the coconut milk, 7 curry leaves and season with the salt. Bring to a boil and then cover with a lid and turn down the heat to a simmer. The rice should be done in 12-15 minutes. Fluff up and serve with the rest of the fresh curry leaves on top.