Spanish Rice Recipe : Stylish and Spicy Rice!

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Serving this Spanish rice to guest for the Xmas or New Year Eve makes the dinner special. The complex and composite flavors of infused tomatoes is a tangy treat to serve. This is one such spicy rice dish which you can toss together in minutes at home!

The delicious dish is prepared with onions and bell peppers sautéed in hot sizzling oil. The key step is to combine the long grain rice, retaining its texture. Adding chopped tomatoes and spices with simmered water takes the dish to another level. Finally, seasoning the mixture with the spicy and crunchy salsa sauce completes the rice dish. The Spanish rice plate is a great accompany to any kind of heavy meals.

Attempt making it at home and pull down the notion about avoiding to eat rice. The spicy and tangy flavored rice has definite potential to become yours and family’s favorite side dish. This easy to make rice dish is a comfort food when you are tired to cook heavy dinner. It is very easy and even beginners can try their hand at this Spanish Rice Recipe. Firstly, you cook the raw rice with garlic and sautéed onions. Then you mix the other spices and the tomato puree.

The criteria for the best dish is how well you brown the rice. Roasting the rice infuses the nutty aroma and the toasty flavor to the rice. The vegetable stock is absorbed by the rice and it becomes very soft. Spanish rice is essentially a plain rice flavored with spices. Raise your learning spirits and read the recipe. Reserve the recipe for best occasions and celebrations. Recreate the restaurant style taste and texture at home! Tweak and twist the flavors according to your comfortable taste.

Remarks:

• The Spanish Rice Recipe requires 45 minutes for the preparation and cooking. The time needed to cook will vary depending on the simmering temperature.
• The proportion of the ingredients mentioned in the recipe serves 4 people.
• You can also use Enchilada Sauce instead of Salsa Sauce.
• According to your preference, you may add jalapeno, crushed ginger with garlic cloves, cumin seeds, and cayenne pepper.
• You can make the rice in butter or margarine instead of oil.
• If you are not calorie conscious, then stir in the cheese while cooking rice.
• To make Spanish rice look more colorful, add bell peppers of all different colors.
• If you like the taste and flavors of spring onions, then saute their green portion and add mix with the browned rice.
• You can serve the rice plate with optional cheese dip for extra flavors.
• The leftover rice (if any) can be stored and eaten next day.

Garnishing:

Spanish rice (or Mexican Rice) is a great side dish for any Mexican fiesta or small party at your house. This rice dish is a mandatory accompaniment to any Mexican dish served at gatherings. You can pair this delicious steamed rice with enchiladas or tostadas, or with black beans.  This can also be an option when you are wondering what to serve alongside tacos or taco lasagna.

Transfer the hot rice from the pan to the rice bowl. You may also serve the spicy Spanish rice in a hollow round plate, fluff with a fork. To make the rice look appealing to eyes, garnish it with:

• Coriander Leaves/ Mint Leaves
• Lemon/ Orange Wedges
• Chopped Fruits/ Nuts
• White Cream
• Green Onions
• Cheddar Cheese

Quick Tip:

• Use 2 tbsp. of tomato puree or 1 cup of tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes.
• Add a pinch of oregano in the rice to enhance its taste and flavors.
• To save time, you can brown the rice in a separate pan from the pot you used for heating the stock.
• The addition of vegetable stock is what makes this Spanish rice from only good to highly great.
• You can use garlic powder instead of garlic cloves. And if you don’t have any then use garlic salt with the reduced proportion of regular salt.

This Spanish Rice Recipe is a very easy to make and very delicious rice dish. This rice recipe has fantastic flavors and a fabulous fragrance. It is a wholesome one pot meal which is flavorful and colorful. The Spanish rice has a little orange texture with a minor red color infused due to tomatoes. The usual way to make rice is with the stewed tomatoes, but you can also add diced tomatoes. There would be absolutely no alteration in taste or texture whether you use chopped tomatoes to their puree. The heat in the rice is because of green chillies and red chilli powder. You can cut down on their use if you don’t want spicy rice.  The little bit of crackled cumin seeds in oil and the sprinkle of oregano powder will take the taste of this dish to another level. Anyhow you make, this Spanish rice is going to taste extremely yummy. Have it once and you would want to have more.

2^nd Method to make Spanish Rice:

This rice is also popularly known as Mexican Rice. There is another method where you first you can easily cook the rice and then saute the onions with it. Once the rice is cooked and the onions are brown, pour in water or vegetable stock. Then you can add chopped tomatoes or tomato puree bring to a simmer. The rest of the process is same, cover the pan and cook the rice. Here, everything is done in single one pot but the veggies are cooked separately.

• Cook Rice: Keep the olive oil (or any vegetable oil) to heat in large skillet. Turn the flame on medium heat. Once the oil is heated and bubbles form, transfer the uncooked rice. Stir it so that the rice becomes brown and gets lightly coated with the oil. Cook on medium heat, stirring often. Cook till rice has become opaque.
• Saute Onion: Then add the finely chopped onions to this pan having cooked rice. Saute and stir frequently till onions become golden brown in color. Wait for the onions to soften and become translucent.
• Add Garlic: Mix the chopped or the grated garlic cloves in this mixture. Fry them for a minute with the onions and the rice. Wait till the raw smell of the garlic starts to leaves.
• Combine with Vegetable Stock: Now, take a separate saucepan, boil the water. Add the tomatoes along with the vegetable stock. Bring everything to simmer. Then sprinkle oregano, red chilli powder, and black pepper powder. Season the mixture with salt and stir well. Then to this pan, add the cooked brown rice mixture.
• Prepare Rice: Keep the flame medium and bring everything to simmer in this pan or pot. Lower the flame to cook the rice properly. Cover the lid and let the rice mix with the other ingredients.

How to Cook Spanish rice with Chunky Salsa Sauce?

This easiest Spanish rice can be made with salsa sauce as well. It would probably be the best rice recipe with an amazing taste. It essentially needs two main ingredients which are Rice and Salsa.

To make the Spanish rice with salsa sauce you would need 1 cup chunky salsa sauce. All the rest of the ingredients would remain same, except the tomatoes. If you are making the salsa sauce, then do not add chopped tomatoes. You can make Chunky Salsa Sauce at home or either buy the supermarkets. Once you have prepared Salsa Sauce at home, you can proceed with further making of Spanish rice. Rinse the rice and cook the rice with other spices.

• Rinse rice in water to remove excess starch
• Add to saucepan with water and cook the rice.
• Saute onion in oil over medium heat. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Mix rice into the skillet with the sautéed onions, stirring often.
• When rice begins to brown, then add homemade salsa sauce.
• Stir in garlic, red chilli powder, salt, and cumin. Then cover with a lid.
• Heat to a boil and then reduce the flame to a simmer.
• After you reduce heat, open the cover and check the rice.
• Simmer for 20 minutes until the water is absorbed by the rice.
• Check the seasoning of salt. Adjust as needed.

This delicious Spanish rice is perfectly cooked when the rice is soft. Switch off the flame when the water has been evaporated or completely soaked by rice. Top with chopped cilantro or any other fresh herb leaves. Be careful about the proportion of salt as the Salsa Sauce added is already salty.

How to store the cooked Spanish rice?

This Spanish rice is so lovely that you repeatedly wish to have it. You can make it in bulk and store it. If you are planning to store the rice, then let it cool for a while. After that, transfer to freezer bags and freeze the rice. Before you can freeze, wait and allow it too cool. Get the freezer bad of the size sufficient to fill the rice. Transfer it to the bag and keep the bad in the freezer section of the fridge.

How to re-heat the frozen Spanish rice?

Now that you have already cooked rice with you in the freezer, you are ready to re-heat it whenever you wish to. The stored rice makes an easy night of cooking for you. When you want to eat the rice, take the rice out directly from the freezer. Follow the steps below to cook rice from the freezer:

• Take rice from a freezer bag.
• Transfer the rice to a microwavable dish or bowl.
• Add a small amount of water (¼ cup) in the microwave container and cover it.
• Microwave the rice for about 5 minutes till it is cooked.
• Sprinkle some salt and stir.
• And the rice is ready to eat. Enjoy!

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Image Credit : Topinspired