Mexican Rice: A Delicious Meal with Aztec Roots

We all love Mexican food, don’t you?

Mexico is the owner of one of the most varied and wide cuisine styles in the world.

It’s a symbol of the historical culture of the country since many dishes originated in pre-Hispanic Mexico and other important moments in its history. Also, it has been influenced and has in turn influenced cuisines from other cultures, such as European, African, Middle Eastern, and even Asian.

Everytime we talk about Mexican food it always comes to mind strong and spicy dishes such as tacos or enchiladas: food that has a high content of fats. However, there are dishes in this country that are too different from those mentioned above. The Mexican rice or “Arroz Rojo” as it is also called, is the perfect example.

In this post, we brought an interesting review about Mexican Rice and also, you will learn how to make this exquisite meal at home.

Keep reading and taste one of the best healthy dishes of Mexican cuisine!

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A red and flavorful side dish

Mexican rice consists of white rice cooked in a broth of tomatoes. This broth used to be blended with garlic, onion, chili and/or aromatic herbs. This meal is also called Arroz Rojo because while rice is cooked in the pot, it absorbs all the broth and acquires this reddish color.

Although this rice is traditionally cooked in tomato broth, another way to cook it is to fry the rice in a pan with a little oil or butter to give it a pearly color. Then, a sauce, water or beef or chicken broth is added with chopped tomato. Depending on the taste, some cooks add peas, corn, potatoes, rajas and even cheese to this dish.

Also, in Mexican states with Mayan culture, such as Chiapas, Tabasco and the Yucatan Peninsula, it is common to add achiote paste, which is very aromatic and has an intense flavor, as well as a natural red coloring.

Mexican Rice recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of long grain white rice.
• 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil.
• 2 cups of chicken broth.
• 1 chopped large tomato.
• 2 tbsp. of chopped white onion.
• 1 minced clove of garlic.
• Salt to taste.
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped carrots.
• 1/2 cup of peas.
• 1 sprig of cilantro.
• 1 Serrano chili (optional).

Preparation

1. Place the long-grain rice in a bowl and pour water until covered. Stir, and then let it stand for 15-20 minutes.
2. Drain with a colander over the sink, rinse with cold water, then drain again. Shake the colander well to remove excess water and let dry slightly. If you will be using frozen peas, it is recommended to thaw first.
3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan, add the rice, it should sizzle a little as it touches the oil, cook over medium-high heat until it starts to change to a light golden color; this step will take 6 to 8 minutes, stir occasionally to make sure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Remove excess oil with a spoon, slightly tilting the pan.
5. While the rice is frying, place the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender and blend until a fine textured sauce forms.
6. Add the tomato mixture to the rice and stir over medium-high heat.
7. Cook until the liquid in the sauce has completely evaporated or the sauce has reduced enough, and always check if rice didn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the broth and wait for it to come to a boil. Add the carrots, green peas, serrano chilis, cilantro and salt to taste. Cover the pan with the lid and cook over low heat until the water evaporates completely.
9. Using a fork, carefully check that the rice no longer has any liquid; if so, continue to simmer for a few more minutes, still covered with the saucepan lid, until the rice grains are tender and all the liquid has evaporated.
10. Remove the pan from the heat, without uncovering it, and let it stand for 10-15 minutes.
11. Serve