Cilantro Rice Recipe
By Cassandra Clifford
Rice may be one of my favorite foods ever. It’s so simple and easy to make and so much can be done with it, which is probably one reason why so many cultures around the world have rice as a key ingredient or dish.
Growing up in a small town in Mexico, my mother did not have an affluent upbringing, so even now, she’s often content with just eating rice and beans for dinner. Often, she just makes white rice. However, on occasion, she makes rice with cilantro, also known as Mexican parsley or coriander. Even though I was a notoriously picky eater as a child, I’ve always liked this green rice (one time, I asked her for “green rice” without specifying that I wanted rice with cilantro and she made me rice with spinach instead--you can imagine my disappointment). If I may say so myself, this rice is much better than Chipotle’s famous lime and cilantro white rice.
If you’re a part of the minority of people who hate cilantro and think it tastes like soap, this week’s recipe may not be for you (though if you’re looking to incorporate cilantro into your diet and expand your culinary horizons, this might actually be the perfect recipe for you, since crushing and cooking cilantro reduces its potency). This rice is perfect for a family dinner and goes well with chicken, fish, steak, and beans.
Makes approx. 8 cups cooked rice
Ingredients
3 cups (short-grain) white rice
3 cloves garlic
½ red onion
Black pepper (to taste)
1 bunch cilantro (~4 cups cilantro)
1 bouillon cube (chicken or vegetable)
3 ½, ¼ cups water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Directions
Blend cilantro with approximately ¼ cup of water in a blender or food processor until the cilantro forms a dense liquid (add more water if necessary; the mixture should not be a paste, but it should also not be too watery).
Tip: This step can be done ahead of time and either kept in the fridge (if being made in a day or two) or frozen (can be kept for months) until you would like to make the rice.
Finely dice garlic and red onion.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, fry the garlic, onion, and black pepper until the onion is cooked (but not browned).
Add the cilantro liquid to your pot and cook the ingredients together until the mixture is boiling.
Add the bouillon cube to the pot and stir until it is dissolved.
Add 3 ½ cups of water to the pot and stir until all the ingredients are combined. Cover, raise the heat and bring to a boil.
Once your water is boiling, add the rice, lower the heat to medium-low, and stir with a fork every 5-10 minutes.
Once your rice is done and all the water has been absorbed by the rice, dampen a paper towel and place on top of your rice to keep it moist. Enjoy!
Cilantro rice with the pico de gallo from last week’s recipe and potatoes.