Papaya and Cilantro Salsa on Coconut Rice Recipe

This recipe provides a good mix of healthy fat, carbohydrates, and antioxidants, particularly vitamin C and beta-carotene. You can source coconut cream at most Asian food stores. Give the papayas and mango a day or two to ripen at room temperature before making the salsa.

Ingredients:

2 large ripe papayas
1 large ripe mango
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Juice and grated zest of 2 limes or 1 lemon
2 handfuls of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 cups of basmati rice
2 tablespoons of coconut cream

Directions:

Wash the basmati rice and combine it with 2 cups of water and the coconut cream in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer with the lid on until rice is tender. If you cannot source coconut cream, it is fine to use water only to cook the rice.

While the rice is cooking, peel the papayas and mango, remove their seeds, and cut them into bite-size chunks. Combine fruit with red onion slices, lime juice, lime zest, and about half of the roughly chopped cilantro in a large salad bowl. Give all ingredients a good toss.

Once the coconut rice is ready, serve warm rice in bowls and spoon a generous amount of the papaya-mango-cilantro salsa on top of each serving. Add remaining cilantro to each bowl for presentation.

Enjoy this delicious and filling tropical dish.

Note: if you do not use coconut cream to cook the rice, you can add a tablespoon of coconut oil to the rice when it is finished cooking.

This recipe is a modified version of one found in an excellent recipe book called Fresh and Fast Vegan Pleasures