Mexican rice is a popular dish in Latin American cuisine, made with vegetables, toasted rice, and broth. It is often served with traditional foods and includes ingredients such as chiles, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. The dish is adapted from European recipes and can be made using chicken or vegetable stock. To prepare, rinse and toast rice, add vegetables and spices, and cook with stock until absorbed. It pairs well with Mexican cuisine and can be used in fusion dishes.
Mexican rice is a staple in Mexican and Latin American cuisine. Different regions of Central and South America produce a variety of rice dishes, generally sharing the common ingredients of vegetables, toasted rice, and broths such as chicken or vegetable stock. The end result is a rich, hearty rice that pairs well with a number of traditional foods. The preparation technique of Mexican rice is similar to that used for risotto and the two dishes may in fact be related.
Depending on where you eat it, Mexican rice can be found in burritos and mixed platters, or it can be served on its own. A wide range of ingredients are used, but Mexican rice often includes chiles, tomatoes, onions and garlic, along with spices such as cumin, fresh cilantro and salt. The dish is meant to compliment the foods it is eaten with, rather than overpowering them.
Rice is an old world export and was not a part of Latin American cuisine until it was brought to places like Mexico by European explorers. The recipes for dishes such as risotto were probably taken abroad as well and these dishes were adapted for their new surroundings. In some parts of South America, rice dishes are almost like thick soups or gruels, while others are much drier and fluffier. Generally, these differences are accomplished by manipulations of the amount of water and heat used in the cooking process.
To make Mexican rice, start by briefly rinsing and soaking medium-grain white rice. Next, toast the rice in a heavy saucepan with olive oil and a small amount of butter. The rice grains should start to turn golden and translucent, at which point chopped vegetables such as onions, garlic, tomatoes, and chillies should be added to the mixture. When the vegetables begin to soften, add salt, finely chopped fresh coriander, and ground cumin, along with two cups of stock for each cup of rice. Chicken broth is a traditional choice for making authentic Mexican rice, but vegetable broth can be used just as easily.
Stir the mixture and cover the saucepan for 15-20 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Lightly fluff the Mexican rice with a fork and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. It goes very well with Mexican cuisine and can easily be used to create fusion cuisine, combining foods from different culinary traditions. Mexican rice can also be used in recipes that call for Spanish rice, a very similar food made in the American Southwest.
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