STEAMED JASMINE RICE WITH GRILLED EGGPLANT SALAD

Steamed Jasmine Rice With Grilled Eggplant Salad image

This dish is adapted from a grilled eggplant salad recipe in Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid's wonderful book "Seductions of Rice" (Artisan, New York). Jasmine rice is an aromatic, soft, long-grain rice widely used in Thailand. The Thai dishes that employ fragrant rice are also well seasoned, so this rice is traditionally cooked without salt. I like to use my panini grill for grilling eggplant.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Time 1h30m

Yield Serves four

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 cup Thai jasmine rice
Water
Salt to taste optional
1 1/2 pounds long, thin Japanese eggplants, or 1 large globe eggplant, sliced about 1/4 inch thick slice on the diagonal if using long, thin eggplants
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large plum tomato, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 to 1 serrano or bird chile, to taste, finely minced

Steps:

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water and swirl the rice around. Drain and repeat this step two or three more times until the water runs clear. Drain, place the rice in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, and add enough water to cover the rice by a little more than 1/2 inch. (Measure by placing the tip of your index finger on the surface of the rice; the water should come to just below the first joint.) Add salt if desired, and bring to a boil. Allow the water to boil hard for about 15 seconds, then reduce the heat, cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
Turn off the heat, and leave the lid on the rice. Let stand for five to ten minutes. Remove the lid, and gently turn the rice with a paddle to bring the rice up from the bottom of the pot. Return the lid, and let stand while you prepare the eggplant.
Heat a panini grill to high, or prepare a hot grill. Brush the eggplant slices with canola oil. Grill for three to four minutes in the panini grill (five to eight minutes per side on a regular grill) until the slices are slightly browned and tender all the way through. As each batch is done, remove to a bowl. When all of the eggplant has been grilled, cover the bowl tightly and allow the eggplant to steam and eventually to cool.
Coarsely chop the eggplant, and toss together with the herbs and diced tomato. Mix together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chile. Toss with the eggplant mixture. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour, then taste and adjust seasoning.
Place the rice on a platter or on individual plates, top with the eggplant mixture and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 292, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 51 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 717 milligrams, Sugar 8 grams, TransFat 0 grams