I am heading to Oaxaca this coming weekend for my friends wedding, and have been laying low on the carbs for a while (you know, a girls gotta fit in her dress). So I must admit that I was extra excited when Paola and I decided to remake this all time favorite rice recipe of mine. Arroz rojo is a staple in Mexican cooking and there are several variations, but Paola and I decided to keep it traditional this time around and share an all time classic with you all. I hope you love and devour it as much as we did. We'll be sharing other rice recipes in the future. Her mom told me over the phone today of a cilantro and lime recipe I cannot wait to try!
This arroz rojo recipe keeps super well, so if you decide to only have a small portion as a side dish and save the rest for a latter occasion, please do so. But just in case you want to go all out and have it as your main dish (as I did), I recommend you top it off with a fried egg and accompany it with a few chipotle peppers and of course, a few tortillas and a cold beer. I mean, after spending sometime in the kitchen making dinner, a gals gotta reward herself with a cold one right?
Provecho
B
Ingredients
1 15 oz can tomatoes in juice, drained
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, halved
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
1/4 cups peas
1/4 cups diced carrots
2 serranos, cut a slit down the center of one side
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Preparation
Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear. Drain rice and reserve.
In a blender puree the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. In a measuring pot, heat the chicken broth until steaming. Keep warm.
In a large sauté pan with a tight fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the raw rice and stir regularly until the grains become translucent and some start to turn brown. This takes about 5-6 minutes. Add the pureed tomato mixture. Stir. Cook until liquid is reduced and the mixture is somewhat dry-looking, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the warm broth, chiles, peas and carrots, and parsley. Stir thoroughly. Cover and cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for about 5 minutes.
Uncover and test a grain of rice. If it is still a little hard, re-cover the pan and set back over the low heat for another 5 minutes. (If all of the liquid is absorbed, add 2 Tbsp of water before returning it to the heat.)
As soon as the rice is done, fluff it with a fork and turn off the heat, allowing it to rest until it releases all the steam to finish cooking. Use the two serranos for decoration when serving or eating.
