Ingredients (use vegan versions):
- 1 cup uncooked rice -- your choice
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- olive oil
- 1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
- small roma tomato, chopped into about 4 pieces
- hot pepper of your choice, sliced lengthwise (I use jalapeno)
- tomato sauce (i'd say a little less that 1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon comino seeds (cumin) ground into powder
- 1 tablespoon vegan "chicken" bouillon
- salt, to taste
Directions:
This is an authentic recipe (other than the vegan
"chicken" bouillon) passed down to me by my
boyfriend's mother, a mexican american who grew up in Texas
right on the border with Mexico. It's
as authentic as you can get! this is
the type of rice I was raised on, and
it is wonderful. Some people expect
it to be spicier or richer.......I
wouldn't call it "bland" but it is a
main staple simple dish, but it can be
spiced or "dressed up" if you want,
according to your taste. it's
versatile!
Put a little olive oil (tbsp or so)
into a medium-sized pot and heat to a
medium temp. add the rice, uncooked,
and brown in the oil. Make sure all
the rice is lightly coated with the
oil. you do not have to stir the rice
around very much at first, while
browning, but as the rice becomes
browner you want to be stirring it
around to make sure it all browns
evenly and doesn't burn. It will turn
BROWN....it's not burning unless it's
turning dark/black. Towards the end
of the browning, add the garlic so
that it is sort of sauteed/browned.
Next, dump the water on the rice (it
will steam up loudly) and add the
remaining ingredients. Stir well and
cover (with a small air escape).
Reduce heat to medium-low to medium,
and let cook for 20-30 minutes.
(cooking time and temp varies with
your stove....check after 20 min to
make sure you don't burn!)
The essential part of this recipe is
DO NOT PEEK while the rice is cooking
When it is ready, all the water will
be absorbed, the rice will fluff, and
each grain will be "split open"
because of the browning. It should be
dry, not saucy. You can adjust the
spices/peppers to your taste. The
recipe can be changed by keeping with
the 1 cup rice/2 cups water ratio, and
adjusting remaining ingredients.
Goes great with any manner of mexican
beans or as a
side dish to mexican entrees such as
tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc.
Also great by itself!
This dish is a staple in my house! it
is cheap, easy, and yummy!
Serves: 6 large servings
Preparation time: 30-45 min
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