Cooking with Lounge | A ‘pulao’ from Singapore

Serves 2-3

Laksa Pulao

2 tbsp refined oil

3 tbsp onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp ginger, chopped

1 tbsp garlic, chopped

1 tbsp laksa paste (containing fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass, coriander root, red chillies, shrimp paste and turmeric, easily available in the market)

200g medium prawns (optionally, use chicken)

11/2 cups rice, pre-soaked and drained (Basmati, jasmine or ‘gohan’)

1/2 cup coconut milk

3 cups prawn stock

1 tbsp green coriander

Salt to taste

2-3 green chillies (optional)

Loading video...

Method

First, shell and devein the prawns. Keep aside. Boil the shells in enough water with a pinch of salt and pepper to yield three cups of stock.

In a heavy-bottom pan, heat oil and fry the onions till translucent. Add ginger, garlic and laksa paste, one by one, sautéing all the while. Give a couple of minutes between each addition. Sauté till the masala has blended together.

Add the prawns and cook for a minute. Add coriander and sauté. Now put in the rice, salt and chillies. Fry for a few minutes to let the rice absorb all the flavours.

Turn down heat and add the stock. The ratio of rice to stock should be exactly 1:2. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes till the rice is cooked.

Add coconut milk. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. It doesn’t matter if the rice becomes slightly mushy—the consistency should be somewhere between that of a biryani and khichdi.

amrita.r@livemint.com