how to make good Mexican rice for 2 servings?!
Can you tell me step by step please. And how much i should use. (like how much salt 1 tsp or what) how much onion i should use etc.... just so i can do it right this time. thanks so much.
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
It seems like you have all ingredients!
For 2 servings, half a cup of rice would be enough.
So the ingredients are:
1/2 cup rice
1 cup water
1 small can or brick concentrated tomate sauce
2 garlic cloves diced very fine, or 1 teaspoon granulated or powdered garlic
1/4 medium sized onion, cut in small pieces
1 tomato diced very fine
1/2 teaspoon chicken boullion (I don't use tomate flavored boullion). Depending on the boullion strength, you may need to add more powder to the recipe
Salt, as needed (see recipe)
Cooking oil
Medium sized pan with lid.
If vegetables are wanted, use precooked ones, either canned, frozen or fresh made. If using frozen ones, thaw them beforehand.
The general recipe calls for double the amount of water for rice. At the end of the cooking period, you may need to adjust the humidity.
Have all ingredients at hand ready to use.
First, for a fluffy rice, you'll need to wash the rice. Put it in a colander and run water through the rice, until the water comes clear. Set apart
Then, what I do is to fry the rice in oil first. Better use a good amount of oil, and after it's a little bit tosted, strain the rice so it doesn't have too much oil. I use regular cooking oil (corn, sunflower, etc) Use a medium size pan under medium heat, stirring the rice every now and then until it's very light brown. Strain the oil.
Return the pan to the stove at high heat, when it gets hot again pour the onion and garlic or garlic powder stirring until they are partially cooked. If using powder, take special care since the powdered galric may cook too fast.
Add the tomato paste and the tomato pieces, after half a minute add the boullion and then the water, stirr to have all ingredients mixed.
Take a sample of the liquid and adjust salt to your taste, until you get te right amount, it's better to leave it a little bit under-salted.
Once the liquid starts boiling, give a final strirr and lower the heat to minimum. Cover the pan.
After some 10 minutes, check the water level at the center of the pan, by now the rice must be almost cooked and there should be just s little bit of liquid at the center. If it's dry and the rice hasn't cooked yet, add two tablespoons water. At this stage, do not stir the rice, it might become a mess...
If there's too much liquid, semi-cover the pan so more vapor escapes.
If you're adding vegetables like corn or peas, now it's the time, just pour them over the rice.
When the rice is cooked, take it apppart from the stove and let it rest semi-covered for 5 minutes before stirring it.
Variations:
Add mexican chorizo when frying the rice, half a portion for two is enough. Leave the meat in the pan.
For garnishing, you may dice very fine some pieces of bell pepper (a combination of green, red, and yellow peppers looks very nice), justo toss them over the cooked rice.
For the brave at hearth (and people not counting calories or cholesterol), you may use pork lard for frying the rice.
Some cooks add pieces of meat or chicken when boiling the rice to add more flavor, and left them on the pan to cook with the rice.
One or two jalape?os or serranos (raw, not cut) add a litlle heat to the rice. Some people fries them with the rice, others add them with the water.
A pinch of cummin is sometimes added.
You may substitute a sauce made from fresh tomatos instead of the pure, just beware the color (red) may not be as intense.
For a healthier and savory recipe, substitute bouillion (which has MSG) and water, with canned or home made chicken or beef stock.
I learned to cook mexican from my mother.