Mexican Rice Pilaf with Pasilla Chile

For years I have had the trouble of my rice coming out too wet and soft and all stuck together. By reducing the ratio of water to rice from 2:1 to 1.5:1 and reducing the cooking time from 20 minutes to 15 minutes, as well as rinsing the starch off the rice and toasting it, I’ve found a consistency I really enjoy. Don’t be surprised if the bottom burns a little; I like to scrape up the crunchy bits at the bottom into the rice for some texture, but this is optional.

Step: 1

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir rice in the hot oil until toasted, 6 to 7 minutes. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in pasilla chile and cumin; toast for 2 minutes. Add water, chicken soup base, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir one last time, cover, and cook for 7 minutes on medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook for 7 minutes more.

Step: 2

Remove saucepan from heat and let rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Per Serving: 220 calories; protein 4.3g; carbohydrates 43.4g; fat 3g; cholesterol 0.2mg; sodium 145.5mg.

One of most obvious way to choose a side dish is to look at your main dish (pasta, chicken, seared tofu) and pick something different. If you’re cooking pasta, go for a simple healthy dish . Making steak? Go for something light. If you’re want to cooking stir-fry with rice, it must not a good idea to adjust with make a rice salad.

This also can apply to cooking process . You don’t want to push more often your oven by making to do list three dishes at once in there, or be rounding four pans on the cooking items . But sometimes you can make a dish do double-duty .