Mexican Rice

Confession: I didn't think I really liked Mexican Rice.

At Mexican restaurants when it would come with a side of beans and rice, I pretty much never at the rice.

But last week, a few of the girls and I were making Baked Chimichangas for dinner together, and Misha decided to make some Mexican rice as a side dish. I enjoyed eating it along with the chimichangas so much, that when I made the chimichangas again less than a week later (yep), I made some of my own Mexican rice to accompany it. 

So I guess you could say I'm an official fan of Mexican rice now. Especially when it's paired with chimichangas. 

Mexican Rice

Original Recipe

1 cup of basmati rice, rinsed

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups of water

1 chicken cube

1 box of tomato puree

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper

4-5 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp dried cilantro (coriander leaf) - or a handful of chopped fresh

salt and pepper to taste

Dissolve the chicken cube in the 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to make chicken broth.

Heat a deep sautee pan or pot to medium heat and add the oil. Add the uncooked rice, onions and bell pepper to the oil. Stir and cook until the onions are translucent and the rice is browned. Add garlic and cook another minute. 

Pour in the chicken broth, tomato puree, salt, pepper, and dried cilantro (if using fresh, save till the end). Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Once it boils, turn heat to low and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is done cooking. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Add chopped cilantro, if using fresh.