Mexican Rice

Great served with the Mexican beans, stir-fried or grilled Mexican vegetables, Mexican tortillas, chili sauce and salsa. Also great as a side dish to Mexican entrees such as tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped small roma tomato, chopped into into 4 pieces
  • hot pepper of your choice, sliced lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup peas
  • chopped celery, oregano, and chopped capsicum as a flavouring
  • salt to taste
  • olive oil

    • Method

    Put a little olive oil into a medium-sized pot and heat to a medium temperature. 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 of it browns evenly and doesn't burn. Towards the end of the browning, add the garlic so that it is sauteed/browned.

    Next, add 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 temperature varies with your stove. Check after 20 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.) The essential rule 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.