Ingredients
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Optional Garnish
- Finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Wash rice: Thoroughly wash and drain the rice using a fine mesh sieve to remove excess starch, ensuring fluffy grains after cooking.
- Cook veggies: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, minced garlic, red bell pepper, and jalapeno. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are fragrant.
- Toast rice: Add the washed rice to the pan and sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice is lightly toasted and turns golden brown, which helps to enhance its flavor.
- Simmer: Stir in the cumin, kosher salt to taste, tomato sauce, and vegetable or chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer gently until the rice is fully cooked and has absorbed all the liquid, approximately 15 minutes.
- Fluff and garnish: Remove the saucepan from heat. Use a fork to fluff the rice gently to separate the grains. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro if desired and serve immediately to enjoy the best flavors.
Notes
- Washing the rice before cooking helps prevent it from becoming sticky and ensures fluffy texture.
- Adjust the amount of jalapeno depending on your preferred spice level.
- Use either vegetable or chicken broth interchangeably based on dietary preference or availability.
- For extra flavor, you can toast the cumin seeds before adding ground cumin to deepen the aroma.
- If you don’t have tomato sauce, canned crushed tomatoes can be used as a substitute.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
