Make sure you start by soaking the rice, then all you have to do is crush garlic, julienne ginger and chop spring onions. Both rice cake and tomatoes bake in the oven together and don’t need to be stirred or basted, leaving you to get on with other things. Leftover rice cake slices are great pan-fried the next day, in a little oil, until crispy.

Note: I use the Thai Taste brand of sticky rice, which only needs to soak for 1 hour in order for it to cook through. If you're using another brand, check the side of the packet, as it may need to be soaked overnight.

Make ahead: Both parts of the dish can be made the day before and reheated in a warm oven.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 230°C fan/250°C. Line a 23 x 23cm baking tin (or ovenproof dish) with non-stick baking parchment.

• Whisk all the rice cake ingredients together, getting rid of any lumps of coconut milk. Pour into the prepared tin and flatten the top.

• For the tomatoes, put all the ingredients into an ovenproof dish just big enough for them all to fit snugly in a single layer.

• Put both dishes in the oven – the tomatoes on the top shelf and the rice on the bottom shelf (or preferably both on the top shelf, if they’ll fit). Bake for 30 minutes. The tomatoes should be soft and slightly charred, and the rice cooked through and golden-brown on top.

• Remove both dishes from the oven. Cover the tomatoes to keep warm. Leave the rice to rest for 20 minutes. Turn the oven grill to its highest setting.

• After 20 minutes, lift the rice cake on to a flat baking tray with the paper.
  Tear away any overhanging parchment that could burn under the grill. Grill for approximately 5–8 minutes near the top of the oven, or until the rice is crisp and golden- brown on top. If you have a blowtorch, use it to crisp up and lightly char the surface a little more.

• Cool for 5 minutes before slicing into squares. Serve with the warm tomatoes and garnish with the spring onions, coriander and lime wedges.

Recipe adapted from Mezcla: Recipes to Excite (Ebury Press)