From Baja California to Your Kitchen: Enjoy this Mexican-style Rice

From Baja California to Your Kitchen: Enjoy this Mexican-style Rice

The act of cooking in Mexico is considered one of the essential activities of daily life. It is almost a ritual with nearly no distinction between daily food and haute cuisine. That is, on any day and for any occasion, you can eat all kinds of dishes and recipes that have been proudly preserved as a tradition from generation to generation in this vibrant country.

Mexican cuisine is characterized by its diversity. Each region has its own recipes, uses its particular ingredients following its ancient traditions.

• In the northern part of the country, with a more rugged and dry climate, the cuisine is rather austere and of simple flavors, although that does not stop being attentive delights.
• In contrast, in the southeast, where lands offer more varied ingredients, there is an explosion of flavors with an as yet unknown number of local dishes and recipes.

Mexico is known for its corn, tomatoes, chocolate, spices, avocados, beans, papaya, vanilla, and chiles. And the way these foods are used reflects the true traditional gastronomy of the country.

Rice in traditional Mexican cuisine

Talking about the dishes that comprise Mexico’s national gastronomy would be almost impossible because of the quantity and variety that compose it. When we refer to rice in Mexican cuisine, the first image that comes to mind is the traditional red rice, accompanying the mole poblano, served on a Talavera plate. There is no doubt that rice is the faithful companion of the moles of Mexico. An ingredient that came from the East and is now proudly Mexican.

There are countless dishes with rice in Mexico, among all the rice dishes we can find in Mexican gastronomy, one of the most famous ones is Mexican rice, which basically consists of rice cooked with tomato sauce and enriched with carrots and chicharos.

This rice is one of the favorite dishes in Mexican homes and very often is the main dish, accompanied by beans, avocado, or topped with a fried egg as served in some restaurants in Mexico.

There are many variations of Mexican Rice Recipes: how to cook|Mahatma Rice you can find online, and here are a couple of them we have already selected for you to prepare at home. 

Traditional Mexican rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of rice.
• 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth.
• 2 teaspoons of chicken or vegetable broth powder.
• 1 carrot (in squares).
• 1 cup of peas.
• 2 Potatoes (in squares).
• 1 onion.
• 2 tomatoes.
• 1 clove of garlic.
• 1 pinch of Salt.

Preparation:

1. Put rice to soak in a pot with boiling water for 10 minutes.
2. Drain and set in the sun for another 15 minutes. In addition, heat a saucepan with plenty of oil.
3. Since the oil is very hot, the rice is fried along with the vegetables (carrots, chicharos, and potatoes).
4. Additionally, grind the tomato, onion, and garlic with a little water. When the rice took a light brown color, remove the excess oil and add the tomato (already ground and strained).
5. Add two teaspoons of chicken broth powder and leave to season, as the oil is seen on top of the rice.
6. Add two cups of chicken broth, cover and let it cook at low heat until broth is consumed.
7. Serve this delightful Mexican rice with other dishes as a light meal or as a side dish.

Avocado rice

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
• 1/2 cup of red pepper, diced.
• 1/2 cup of onion, diced.
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
• 1 cup of brown rice.
• 1 cup of frozen corn kernels.
• 2 cups of chicken broth.
• 1 cup of black beans, washed and drained.
• 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce.
• 1 tablespoon of cilantro, finely chopped.
• 1 cup of avocado, chopped into squares.

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. 
2. Add onion and pepper; sauté 3-4 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
3. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
4. Add the rice and mix thoroughly.
5. Add broth, corn, beans, and tomato sauce; mix until combined.
6. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, reduce the heat to low and cover.
7. Cook until rice is al dente, about 15-20 minutes.
8. Drizzle with fresh cilantro and serve with avocado.
9. Serve and enjoy this delightful variation of Mexican rice.