Spicy Thai Rice

I'm a huge rice fan. There's something about it that is very comforting to me, and it's not unusual for me to eat only rice for a meal. It's relatively low in fat and calories, and can literally be sent in a thousand directions.

Lately I've been on this Thai and Indian kick. Cilantro and lime are two wonderful flavors, especially when mixed together, and when combined with some Indian spice, you've got yourself a very flavorful dish. This recipe was adapted from one I discovered on the USA Rice Recipe website.



Spicy Thai Rice
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c chopped red onion
2 fresh thai chilies, seeded and minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin seed, freshly ground
1/4 tsp coriander seed, freshly ground
1/8 tsp turmeric
2 c water
1 c long-grain white rice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion, and saute for 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and pepper, and saute an additional 2 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, and turmeric, and saute 1 minute. Add rice, stir well, and saute for 3 additional minutes. Add water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover pot, and simmer 20-25 minutes, until done. Stir in cilantro and fresh lime juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.