This squash brown rice is absolutely the best rice that I have ever cooked! I am perpetually trying to make brown rice soft and tender. There is very little nutritional value in white rice. So, I try not to make it. Brown rice can be incredibly tricky to get to both cook and taste right, though. If not cooked properly, it can be dense and chewy, rather than the soft and fluffy consistency that we love out of rice. But this squash brown race recipe with just a hint of habaneros is absolutely perfect.
Part of the problem with cooking rice is that, despite its namesake, rice doesn't cook well in a rice cooker. I know that that sounds odd. After all, that is its primary function! But it often comes out hard and undercooked or overcooked and mushy. Particularly when you're adding more ingredients that guessing on the amount of water that you will need, this kind of steam method can be particularly unforgiving!
There are some tips and tricks to perfectly cooking brown rice, though. And this is hands down the best rice that I have ever made!
It's perfectly balanced. It has sweetness from the butter squash, spiciness from the habanero peppers, and heartiness from the brown rice. With a little bit of olive oil, lime, and some cherry tomatoes out of my garden, this squash brown rice recipe is the best thing in the world. I was so sad when I finished eating the batch! And I make new variations of it all the time now. It's become one of my favorite recipes of all time.
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Variations of Squash Brown Rice
I have been adapting this recipe all summer. And, while this might be my best rice recipe to date, it by no means is my only rice recipe that I recommend! Personal preference also plays a lot into what "the best recipe" actually is. You can also mix things up and make this style of recipe with quinoa, lentils, or any grain or legume of choice.
This is hands down my favorite rice recipe of all time. It's perfectly balanced. It has sweetness from the butter squash, spiciness from the habanero peppers, and heartiness from the brown rice. With a little bit of olive oil and lime, this squash brown rice recipe is both a delicious and incredibly filling.
Add all of the ingredients into a rice cooker. I like to start with the larger vegetables and then add the smaller ingredients. Top with the bay leaves, spices, lime juice, and olive oil. And then add the rice and water.This cooks the larger vegetables on the bottom, while dispersing the flavor profiles in the middle. Although with some mixing, this really doesn't matter all that much. Everything will eventually cook together!
Press the cook button on the rice cooker. It should take about 45 minutes to cook.Alternatively you can simmer on the stove. Add all of the ingredients to a pot, bring uncovered to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook covered for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet squash and rice are tender. Turn off heat, add lid, and let sit another 5-10 minutes.
When the rice is fully cooked, let sit for 10 minutes, and then fluff with a wooden spoon and serve.Do not use a fork or other metal utensil. It will scratch off the nonstick surface on the rice cooker. This will leach teflon into your food and cause future dishes to stick to the bottom!
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
For tips and tricks on The Fundamentals of Cooking Rice, particularly brown rice, check out my article on the matter. Rice is surprisingly more difficult to cook in a rice cooker than the name would suggest and there are a multitude of simple solutions for common problems, like overcooking and becoming mushy or drying out. There are also some solutions for remedying these issues after the fact, instead of starting over!
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