Golden Garlic Rice

Our Thai take out comes with this garlic fried rice which delights us. It is slightly salty with hints of soy, a touch of crispy rice and a whole lot of golden fried garlic. We are enamored! I know I must make this for the smitten.

Jasmine rice is the optimal choice. That is not an option for me. Being housebound, we ate a lot of rice, almost exclusively the basmati kind.  Once that supply ran low, I made a foray to the Indian grocery, only to stand flabbergasted before depleted shelves.  I guess the lockdown has driven people to hoard rice! Completely discombobulated I stared at barren shelves, when my eyes spied a twenty pound gunny sack of basmati rice in a corner. My hands reached for the bag in triumph and joy! It was like finding that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow ....my world was right again. But wait... the story hasn't ended. Back home, I ascertain I have a humongous bag of parboiled basmati!! Dismay and dejection prevails. I don't even know how to cook parboiled rice, except make idli and dosa batter, something I rarely endeavor.  What am I to do??? Basmati has disappeared off shelves everywhere! Amazon is rife with outrageously priced basmati, amounts I would pay for a nugget of gold! The local stores have none. So what are my options, but to cook it all? I offer my neighbor some. Her plight is similar to mine, so she takes some off my hands. I still have ten pounds to consume! 

So folks, today's rice is made not with jasmine, not basmati, but their fat chewy cousin. Not quite the best, just a good friend in need.

GOLDEN GARLIC RICE

Serves 4

GF, WF, EF

1 cup Jasmine, Basmati or any *%#*  rice you can find.

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

4 tablespoons Butter

8-10 Garlic cloves

1/4 cup Chicken Stock

2 tablespoons Shoyu or Tamari (or low-sodium Soy Sauce)

Scallions, sliced thin

Cilantro, chopped

Cook rice with salt. Use your method of choice.  Rinse rice well. Add double the quantity of water, bring it to a boil, cover the pan, turn the flame to low and cook it for 14 minutes.  OR if you have parboiled rice like me, just throw the rice into a large saucepan, rinse well  and boil the rice in plenty of water for 13-14 minutes. Drain rice in a colander and watch the starch drain away!  Cover rice to keep warm.

While the rice cooks, mince garlic finely. 

Melt butter in small pan.

Fry minced garlic on a low flame till golden brown. Keep aside. 

Mix chicken stock and soy sauce in small bowl.

Once the rice is cooked, spoon it onto a serving dish. 

Drizzle stock-soy mixture over rice. Rice should be gently stained brown.

Top rice with garlic, scallions and cilantro. 

Toss well and enjoy!

The moral of this episode should be buyer beware... the upside is watching the starch drain away....... its a lose/win situation!

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