Brown Coconut Rice

• 2 cups brown rice (ofada/ abakiliki rice)

• 1 whole coconut

• 1 cup meat stock (either chicken stock, beef stock or turkey stock)

• 2 seasoning cubes

• 1 cup green peas

• 2 carrots

• 1 medium sized red onion

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• salt to taste

Step 1: Rinse the rice with clean water and place in a pot. Add just enough water to cover the rice in the pot and cook on medium heat for 10 mins till “al-dente”(cooked to be firm to the bite). This is done to remove excess starch in the rice to prevent it from sticking together. Transfer the rice into a separate bowl and run clean water through it. Set aside.

Step 2: Break the coconuts, remove the flesh and extract the milk as shown Here.

Step 3: Pour the milk extract into a pot, add the parboiled rice, meat stock, seasoning and salt to taste. Cover the pot and leave the rice to cook for about 15 minutes till the liquid in the pot dries up.

Step 4: While the rice cooks, Chop the onion, carrots and steam the green peas with a little salt. Pour the vegetable oil in a pan. Add the chopped vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes. 

Step 5: By now the rice would have absorbed the coconut and stock liquid. Add the stir-fried vegetables into the coconut rice and mix. Leave to simmer for about 3 minutes more before turning off the burner.