Mexican Rice

When I first came to the United States, one of the first cuisines I was introduced to was Mexican.  I really enjoyed it then just as much as I enjoy it now.  My first experience with Mexican cuisine was a little mom and pop restaurant that really made an extra effort and catered to our vegetarian preference. I decided to try out a recipe for a Mexican rice which is typically served as a side dish with Mexican meals.  I especially enjoy this rice with cheese enchiladas and refried beans. Enjoy!

This recipe will serve 4.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain rice, you can use any long grain rice
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 14oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup corn kernels, I am using frozen corn
• 1 cup green bell pepper cut in small pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper finely chopped
• 2 cups of water
• 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped (hara dhania)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice, I prefer lime juice but lemon juice will work

Method

1. Wash the rice and drain the water and pat dry.
2. In a frying pan heat the oil over medium high heat, when oil is moderately hot add the rice and stir fry for about 4-5 minutes till rice is lightly toasted.
3. Add vegetables, corn bell pepper and jalapeno pepper sauté, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes.
4. Add cumin powder, salt and tomato sauté, stirring frequently for about 3-4 minutes. Until most of the moisture from tomatoes has evaporated.
5. Add water stir and bring it to boil, lower the heat to low. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 10 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated. Uncover the pan let it sit for about 2-3 minutes without stirring.
6. Add cilantro and lime juice and fluff the rice gently. Rice is ready to serve.

 Enjoy!

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