While Tuesdays are reserved for tacos, last night was a night at the ballpark with hot dogs and peanuts, tonight we're excited to continue a new practice of chowing down on some delicious Thai food. We like to think we always have time to make said delicacies, but most times we just opt for take-out and a night of must-see TV. There is a little place down the street that has the best-grilled pineapple for dessert. That said, it'd be nice to know how to make our own so we can have it more frequently.
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Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Black Sticky Rice
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup black sticky rice, (see Note)
1 14-ounce can lite coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 tablespoons finely chopped palm sugar (see Note) or packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Preparation
Combine water and rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the rice has absorbed all the water, about 20 minutes. The rice should be cooked yet still somewhat firm.
Bring the coconut milk to a boil in another medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, add cardamom, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside 3/4 cup of the seasoned coconut milk. Add the rice to the pan with the remaining seasoned coconut milk, return to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the rice softens and absorbs almost all the liquid, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the pineapple slices until slightly charred and softened, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board; let stand until cool enough to handle. Chop the pineapple.
Serve rice and pineapple with the reserved coconut milk drizzled on top. Serve hot or at room temperature. Variation: White sticky rice can be substituted for the black sticky rice, but the cooking time in Step 1 will be 12 to 15 minutes and, in Step 2, 10 to 15 minutes. Check the rice while it's cooking to prevent scorching.