Rice Pilaf with Mexican Flavors
(from jzeldas’s recipe box)
A wide-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid works best for evenly cooked rice. We prefer olive oil for this dish, but butter can be used as well. This recipe is based on authentic Mexican rice; however, this version is much quicker to prepare.
Source: Cook's Illustrated (from RecipeThing user jerseyjenny) (from RecipeThing user APechaitis)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves 6 people
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups water
- Table salt and ground black pepper
- 1 small onion , chopped fine
- 2 jalapeño chiles , stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice or plain long-grain, rinsed
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1 medium tomato , halved, seeded, and diced small (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
Directions
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Bring the water to a boil, covered, in a small saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt and season with pepper to taste; cover to keep hot.
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Meanwhile, combine the onion, chiles, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
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Increase the heat to medium and add the tomato paste and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice, and stir to coat the grains with oil. Cook until the edges of the grains begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the hot seasoned water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, 16 to 18 minutes.
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Remove the pot from the heat and add the cilantro and tomato—do not mix in. Lay a clean, folded kitchen towel underneath the lid (see the illustration below). Let stand for 10 minutes, then add the lime juice and fluff the rice with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste.