I am always excited when I get to cook any special Rice either local or Intercontinental because to me its time to play, hahaha…well it just simply means its another avenue for me to cook it in a different way from the way I did the last time. So I get this traffic of ideas running through my head and if you are like me who avoids the use of stock cubes like Maggi or Royco, you would know that you have to be very cautious and deal more on your spices and creativity so that your dish can be very delicious.
But what if you run out of spices what do you do? Now that was the case here, I had ran out of all my natural spices and I needed to prepare this Rice urgently, hmmm… as females have we been in that situation where we have to think outside box and get creative? I have and I always liked a good challenge in the Kitchen, alwayssss…if it works it becomes a hit recipe for LydiasMoments, if it doesn’t I improvise and try again next time. *SMILEE*
I want to try my best to show you how I came up with a delicious non mushy healthy Coconut Rice with Shrimps and Gizzards, in written step by step format with this recipe that was a success…but first let me share some tips I learnt over time to make a good and tasty Coconut Rice, especially for those who still find it hard making a nice one.
Everyone messes up once in a while in the Kitchen so there’s no shame in that, the main thing is just to get better. Coconut Rice wasn’t always my best skill, but by learning from my first ever mistake, I was able to build myself to this point by following certain guidelines. So now I can twist and turn the recipe to soot the way I want it according to my mood…loll…
Tips…
a) Dont let the extracted Coconut milk be lesser than your Rice, better for the Milk extract to be more so that you can have excess in case it is needed.
b) Use more than one medium sized Coconut if you are using more than 4 cups of Rice.
c) Let your Rice parboil till it’s a bit soft but still hard and raw, meaning let it not get to the boiling stage before you bring down to wash because it’s from this point we know whether we are going to achieve a less mushy outcome. If your rice is almost done and is chewable after parboiling then its most likely you would have a mushy Rice at the end, except you are very careful after that.
d) Start with less water at the beginning, less is always better than more. What you extracted from the Coconut is more of Milk and not Water, so because Milk is denser than Water it tends to soak easily into Rice.
e) I always talk about this particular point because it can be tempting to do. Do not turn your Rice while on heat when there is still enough Water in it, meaning when you are not ready to bring down the pot, don’t stir to the bottom of the Pot because if you do, your Rice would get burnt before it even cooks. This applies to any kind of Rice you are preparing…
f) You have to be alert... Coconut Rice isn't one of those Rice you leave on fire and take a short nap or balance in front of a movie and not close to the Kitchen. Except you do not mind the outcome, but if it has to be special you have to concentrate and not be too absent minded fro the Kitchen.
These are just a few of my favorite guidelines, you may also have your own and also find out more tips that would help you achieve a good Coconut Rice. Whichever way, just work with what works well for you.
Full recipe
Ingredients - Coconut( I used 1 medium size) Salt - Ghana pepper - Bay leaves - Thyme( I used the long stranded ones because of its lovely taste and aroma) - White Rice( 4 cups) - Gizzards - Shrimps( big or small. I made use of the small ones) - Blended Crayfish( about 1 cup Oporo or normal Crayfish) - No Cholesterol oil - 1 medium Chili Pepper (Shombo) - 2 tbsps of Ginger and Garlic - Cut out Chicken - A few Vegetables( Carrots and Green peas) optional
Prep
- Firstly, prepare your Coconut by breaking, detaching and cutting into small pieces inside your blender with enough water and blend till very smooth.
- Filter out the water with a sieve or squeeze out with an Akamu cloth and then keep aside. You can repeat this 2wice, depending on how much your Rice is. I would rather advice you use more than 1 Coconuts if you are cooking a larger Pot.
- Cut your vegetables and set aside.
- From the beginning, while your Rice is parboiling, marinate your Gizzards and Shrimps in a bowl by washing them thoroughly. If your Gizzards are too big, cut them into two parts, if your Shrimps are small or big it still works fine.
- After washing, drain out the water very well and add salt, pepper, Thyme, ½ table spoon of soy sauce( we don’t need much of it, we just need its flavor) and 1 tablespoon of Ginger and Garlic paste.
- Mix them in thoroughly taste and make sure the spiciness suits your taste, then set aside. Do this stage at the beginning of your cooking, so that after your rice is on the heat for the final time, you can now work on them. This would enable the spices to go deep into the Gizzards and Shrimps and make it taste better.
Meanwhile your Rice should be parboiled till it’s a bit soft but still hard and raw, meaning let it not get to the boiling stage filter and keep aside.
- In a pot or deep Pan, steam you Chicken without Water. Add salt, pepper, Bay leaves, 1 table spoon of Ginger and Garlic paste, thyme and a little Onions.
- Leave to steam for very few minutes i.e. just about half done, then remove them and set aside.
- Take a non-sticky Pan, a Skillet if you have one or just an ordinary frying Pan. If it’s just an ordinary pan and you are skeptical of it being a non-sticky one, there’s no problem just sprinkle a little oil on it and rub it all round.
- You can still do that on your non-sticky pan or your skillet if you want a bit of oiliness. But its not really necessary because the meats will produce their natural oil.
- Place your Gizzards and shrimps in the Pan separately from each other and leave to heat turning from side to side. Flip from side to side on low heat at 2mins interval, till they shrink properly and your Shrimps looks reddish and slightly brown because of the dark soy sauce.
- Your shrimps have no issue been half done at first, it could finally get done in the Rice but your Gizzard has to be soft, so make sure after about 5 mins of flipping from side to side remove your Shrimps only and increase the heat to medium for your Gizzard to get soft.
- Do this for another 5mins and then taste and see if your Gizzards are chewable, then bring out of pan.
- Now do the same for your Chicken also on the Pan, keep flipping your Chicken at 2 mins intervals on medium heat, till both sides are looking a bit dried and brownish.
- transfer everything you just dried into a pan with some of your chicken broth/stock and on medium heat add your blended crayfish and blended chili pepper and a little salt.
- stir and leave to boil till the sauce looks thick and has dried down, then add your vegetables stir and bring down almost immediately.
- Back to your Rice, return it back to the pot but outside heat. Add salt, pepper, Thyme, very little Bay leaves and onions, your remaining Garlic and Ginger paste stir and make sure it is well mixed. Then pour in your Coconut Water to just float a little above the Rice.
- Stir very well and top up with more seasoning, you would definitely need to. Make sure the spiciness is pronounced to a large extent, then add 1 medium cooking spoon of Oil and transfer to heat.
- Make sure you check your Rice from time to time. When you check your Rice after a few minutes and the Water has gone down to just below the top of the Rice, taste to see if it’s still a bit hard, if it is add some of your left over Coconut Water just to cover the Rice again but don’t stir. But if the Rice is okay, cover it and don’t stir.
- Few minutes later check and if its about that time the Water has about quarter more to go add your Chickens, Gizzards and Shrimps and the whole sauce. cover and don’t stir.
- Few minutes later, at that point when the Water is drying, that time when you deep your spoon or fork and it comes out wet but not with Water, then it’s time to stir.
- Lower the heat and stir very well and make sure to taste and add finishing touches to seasoning if needed.
- Leave on medium heat for 2-3mins, then remove totally from heat.
And our Shrimp-Gizzard Coconut Rice with Chicken is ready
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