Curried Arancini (Or Scotch Egg Alternative)
Delicious Italian crispy rice balls with a kick
Recipe by Sandy Docherty, previous Great British Bake Off Contestant and Fair Trade Advocate
Working with the fabulous produce from JTS I have come up with this tasty dish. It is fair to say these do take a bit of time but stay calm as they can be made way ahead of time.
Hints and Tips:
Ingredients:
- 200g Kilombero white Aromatic rice
- 1 tin of Ma’s reduced fat coconut milk
- 125mls of water (approximately)
- 1 jar Ma’s Organic curry paste
- Pinch of Savoury sea salt
- Oil for deep frying
For the coating:
- 150g Plain flour
- 2 beaten eggs
- 200g panko breadcrumbs
Method:
- Place the rice, water and coconut milk in a pan and bring to a simmer. Once simmering stir frequently to release the starch in the rice which helps to make it sticky. If the rice is not quite cooked when all the liquid is absorbed, then add a touch more water and keep stirring.
- Once cooked put the rice in a bowl to cool, stir in the salt and the jar of curry paste (this can be Korma or Veggie). Leave to get completely cold.
- Set out your ‘coating station’ using three plates add the flour to one, the beaten egg to another and the panko crumbs to the third.
- You have many options now, you can roll the cold rice into small starter, snack or buffet size, you can go a little larger and make them for a picnic or lunch or you could hard boil some eggs and roll the rice around the egg making a Arancini scotch egg.*
- When the balls of rice have been rolled you can now start to coat.
- Roll the ball in flour, shake off the excess, then roll in the egg and then roll around the panko crumbs repeat egg and panko for a thicker coating, that’s one done!
- Repeat this process with all the other Arancini, you may need to beat another egg, use a bit more flour or panko crumb this depends of the amount and size.
- Chill these little jewels of taste for as long as you can, it can even be over night.
- To fry: half fill a pan with oil and heat until a piece of bread dropped in sizzles and browns in a minute. The Arancini balls do not have to be covered you can gently turn them, cook until golden brown all over.
- Serve, with a side salad, mint and yogurt dip or other dressing, a good mayonnaise is always a winner.
- Please be aware that unless you have made very small Arancini they will not be hot right through. If you want to serve them hot transfer to the oven Gas 4 Fan 160c for 20 minutes to heat through. (break one open to test)
- I have fried them all, frozen them, defrosted when needed and warmed in the oven before serving.
- However, I would not freeze the scotch egg version (something about freezing hardboiled eggs that has never worked for me)
- Frying is preferred to get the best taste and appearance, oven baked would work but they can become a little dry and uneven.
