Shona Vertue’s Steamed Veggies with Ginger and Coconut Rice

I’m quite obsessed with coconut rice – having an islander mum will turn you into a coconut lover. While it does raise the fat content of this meal, I personally think the taste alone makes it worth it. If you need more convincing don’t forget that the fat in coconuts has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and improve blood pressure.

Ingredients

250g pak choi
a handful of bean sprouts
20g dry-roasted cashew nuts
a portion of cooked protein of your choice

for the rice
100g basmati rice
a pinch of salt
235ml water
235ml coconut milk
1 tsp grated ginger

for the sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey

Put the rice in a large pan with the salt, water, coconut milk and ginger. Bring to the boil then turn down and simmer for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the heat and give it a stir with a wooden spoon. If it’s still too watery, replace the lid and allow it to sit for 5–10 minutes.

Once the rice is almost done, bring a pan of water to the boil and place a metal colander on top. When the water is boiling, check the colander is not touching the water and add the pak choi to the colander. Cover with a lid and
steam for 4 minutes; you really don’t want to overcook them.

In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with the honey, stirring vigorously.

Fluff the rice up and divide between 2 bowls, place the pak choi, bean sprouts and cashews on top and spoon over the sauce. Add your chosen protein and serve.

Recipe extract from The Vertue Method by Shona Vertue, published by Yellow Kite, £20
Photography: Helen Cathcart