Looking for yummy delicacies? Try Coconut rice with sambal and okra; recipe inside

New Delhi: The season of festival is continued, and we can’t get enough of the celebration. While the Navratri and Dussehra celebrations have just ended and the preparations for Diwali have begun, people are looking for more recipes to try and relish. Thus, we keep bringing more and more recipe ideas for you to try at home.

So, here is the recipe for Coconut rice with sambal and okra curated by Mr. Manoj Kumar Pandey who is a Partner Chef at The Piano Man. 

Ingredients

600g ladies fingers
2 tbsp crispy fried onions
1 big handful coriander, chopped 
2 limes, halved

For the sambal

5 fresh red chillies (30g), deseeded
5 dried red chillies (4g), deseeded
20 red baby shallots (100g), peeled 
1 clove garlic, peeled
½ tsp salt
130ml vegetable oil
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp thick tamarind water (seedless tamarind paste whisked with a little water and strained)

For the rice

325g basmati rice
½ tsp salt
175ml coconut milk
350ml water
6 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
6 thin slices ginger

Method:

Start with the sambal. Put the chillies, shallots, garlic and salt in a food processor, add two tablespoons each of oil and water, and process for a minute, until you have a fine paste (or do this with a pestle and mortar, in which case add the liquids after you have a paste). Put a wok or large, heavy frying pan on a high heat. Add the remaining oil and, when hot, add the paste and stir. Reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes, until it's dark red and oily. Off the heat, stir in the sugar and tamarind water, and set aside.

Wash the rice in cold water, drain and put in a medium pan. Heat the rice a little, then add the salt, coconut milk, water, lime leaves and ginger. Stir, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to minimum. Cover, simmer for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, bring a medium pan of water to a boil. Add the okra and cook for two to three minutes only. Drain, refresh under cold water and leave to dry.

Gently reheat the sambal, then stir in the okra to warm it up (don't cook it any longer). Fluff the rice with a fork, and spoon into bowls. Top with okra and sauce, and sprinkle over fried shallots and coriander. Put half a lime with each serving.