Recipe: Turmeric Rice Pilaf with Coconut Milk and Shrimp

Turmeric Rice Pilaf with Coconut Milk and Shrimp

Here's a fresh start to the new year: fragrant rice pilaf that comes together in less than half an hour. It's bold, bright, and richly flavored. If you'd like to use raw shrimp in place of the cooked shrimp, add them to the pot when you pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth.

Serves 6

1½ cups long-grain white rice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee
½ yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon red chile flakes
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup coconut milk
1½ cups chicken broth
¾ pound cooked shrimp
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges, for squeezing

Rinse the rice very thoroughly with cool water.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chile, mustard seeds, and salt. Stir and cook for a few minutes, or until the onion softens. Add the rice and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and cook for another few minutes to toast the rice. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pot with a lid. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and scatter the shrimp over the rice. Re-cover the pot with the lid, and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle the peanuts and cilantro over the shrimp and rice. Serve the lime wedges on the side.