Coconut Rice Shrimp Balls

Photo: Kristen

Ingredients

1 cup rice, soaked. I use Japanese rice, even though this is Thai recipe

15 ~shrimp, peeled and thawed (or fresh!)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic

1 cup coconut milk

salt

lime zest

cilantro

white and dark sesame seeds

Preparation

Soak some rice in water for a few hours, or overnight if you like... Figure about 1/3 cup rice per person. If you have a steamer, steam the rice over water for about half an hour or until it's done... you should know. If you don't have a steamer, you can put a colander over a pot as long as it fits inside, and that will work too.

Meanwhile, peel and prepare some shrimp. Sautee in a pan with some olive oil, lime juice and chopped garlic until fully cooked. Let cool a bit, and cut the shrimpies in half, lengthwise (you don't have to do this if you don't want to, but the shrimp sits nicer on the ball this way. *Don't cut them in half before cooking them, because then they curl up too much and won't sit on the rice balls.*

When the rice is done, transfer to a bowl and stir in a cup of coconut milk, a pinch (or more) of salt and some lime zest. When cool enough to handle (seriously, let this cool a bit since it will be a little too soupy at first anyway), form into little flat balls (maybe 2/3 the size of a golf ball?), dip in a combo of light and dark sesame seeds to coat the bottom and top with cilantro leaf and a piece of your cooked (halved) shrimp.