Stomach Soothing Coconut Rice

Recipes — By sowj on November 21, 2011 1:45 pm

Recently I’ve been having some fun digestive issues which can be quite painful. In order to remedy this I stay away from fiber, heavy foods and spices with heat which can be hard on the gastrointestinal tract. Starchy, simple carbs such as white rice are perfect for soothing an upset stomach. Though I do love the taste of plain white rice, adding a few simple ingredients will give the rice a flavor you will relish.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of uncooked White Rice
6 cups of Water (more or less depending on consistency you prefer)
Salt to taste
6 tbsp Coconut Milk
Lemon or Lime Juice to taste
Pinch of Cayenne

PREPARATION

Wash your rice and drain. Bring the water to a boil. Add the rice and turn the heat down to a simmer. You’re going to simmer the rice for a bit longer than you might be used to. Cooking the rice for an extended period of time extracts more starch into the water and makes the rice even easier to digest. The consistency of the rice should be extremely soft and a little soupy. When the rice is finished turn off the heat. Add the coconut milk, lemon juice, cayenne and salt. Stir in and enjoy!

In a variation of this dish (the featured picture), I include turmeric, garam masala and black pepper, giving the rice a lovely yellow color. While the rice is cooking, I add 1-2 tsp of turmeric and 1/2 tsp of garam masala. You can also try many different seeds that are soothing to the stomach such as cumin, fennel, anise, carom (thymol seeds), etc., while the rice is cooking. Once the rice is done, I top it off with coconut milk, black pepper, cayenne, lemon or lime juice and salt.