Mexican Rice
498kcal9.2g protein14.7g fat82.2g carbs~$1.08/ serving*Estimates computed from the ingredient list; cost uses average US supermarket prices. Not a substitute for packaging measurements or your receipt.
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list. The label is still the last word.
Restrictions
Diets
No porkNo alcohol
Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.
Ingredients
Servings:
| 1 cup |  long-grain rice (rinsed, drained dry) |
| 2 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 1 unit |  tomato (cored, quartered) |
| ¼ cup |  onion (roughly chopped) |
| 2 clove |  garlic (peeled) |
| 1 tbsp | tomato paste |
| 1 ¼ cup |  chicken stock |
| ⅓ cup |  carrot (small dice) |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| ¼ tsp |  cumin (ground) |
Optional
Not counted above. The dish works without them.
| ⅓ cup |  green peas (frozen) |
| 1 unit |  serrano chili (whole, slit) |
| 2 tbsp |  cilantro (chopped) |
| 1 unit |  lime (wedges) |
Steps
- Prep5 mincold water until it runs clearrinse the rice, then drain it hard and spread it out — loose surface starch is what glues grains together, and wet rice steams instead of frying in the next step
- Mix2 minblender, hightomato + onion + garlic, blended smooth; you want about 3/4 cup of purée, which together with the stock gives the 2:1 liquid-to-rice ratio toasted rice needs
- Fry7 minmedium, stirring constantlyoil + drained rice, until the grains turn chalky white with scattered gold — the fat coats and the exterior starch sets, which is the entire reason the finished rice is separate rather than a mass
- Reduce4 minmedium-high+ tomato purée + tomato paste, cooking until it darkens and stops smelling green; raw tomato added with the broth never loses that edge because the temperature never gets high enough once liquid is in the pan
- Simmer18 minlowest heat, tightly covered, do not stir+ chicken stock + carrot + salt + cumin (+ slit serrano), brought to a boil then dropped to a bare simmer and lidded — every lift of the lid vents the steam that hydrates the top layer, which is how you end up with crunchy grains above cooked ones
- Rest10 minoff heat, still coveredscatter the peas over the surface, re-cover, and leave it alone; residual steam cooks them without turning them grey, and the rest lets moisture equalize from the wet bottom grains to the drier top ones
- Fold1 minfork, not spoonfluff from the edges inward, folding the carrot and peas up through the rice; a spoon compresses and breaks grains where a fork lifts them apart. Finish with cilantro and lime