The other day I made Mexican Rice for Enchiladas and have been hooked. I don't often make actual rice in my rice cooker. As much as I like rice, it's kind of boring. It's easy to overcook or undercook or have burn to the bottom of the rice cooker while the rest of it on top is still undercooked and lumpy. Really, I'm just not a huge fan of quick-cook white rice. It's boring. I'd rather have something with a little bit more of a kick to it.
Unlike Spanish rice, which gets its yellow tinge from saffron, Mexican rice is characterized by a reddish orange hue that it gets from being cooked with cumin. Mexican rice is also a bit fluffier and tends not to stick together. I like to get this consistency from a mix of cumin, coriander, and some kind of pepper. Today, I was lucky enough to have cayenne peppers ripening in the garden. Although, you can mix and match the peppers to meet your own spice needs. I also like to mix in a bit of olive oil or swap out the water in the rice for vegetable broth. This gives a nice, smooth flavor to the rice.
Also, if rice is sticking to the bottom of your rice cooker, it's a sign that the Teflon has worn out. This means that it's no longer nonstick and it's time to get a new rice cooker!
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Variations of Mexican Rice
I've been making quite a bit of Mexican rice lately. It's one of those things that's surprisingly quick and easy to make at home. Everyone has their own theories about what makes a dish more "authentic." Authenticity is a misnomer in the culinary world. Rice is believed to have originated in China and was introduced to Latin America by way of Spain and Africa. So, to call something "authentic" varies wildly by geographic location and period in time.
Personally, I find that a long grain rice (i.e. Jasmine, basmati, or brown rice) mixed with cumin, some kind of hot pepper, a crushed tomato, and olive oil (or replacing water with broth) tastes the most like Mexican restaurant rice that you get in the United States. You can easily mix and match your own favorite types of rice, seasonings, and fruits and vegetables to pair. A lot of the time I like to mix in bell peppers, sweet potatoes, or even squash to balance out the flavor profile.
This Mexican Rice consists of cayenne peppers, red onion, garlic, bay leaves, brown rice, vegetable broth (or water), cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Add all of the ingredients into a rice cooker. I like to start with the larger vegetables and then add the smaller ingredients, followed by 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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