Mexican rice

[julesthegolfer]

Can anyone make the rice you get in standard Mexican restaurants- sort of reddish and sort of dry? Not a lot of flavors.
Thanks

 

[Selkie]

2 cups rice
1 packet taco seasoning
salt
pepper
chili powder
cumin to taste
2 1/4 cups water

Put all ingredients in rice cooker and stir. Cook until done.

 

[Kayelle]

My friend owns a Mexican restaurant and I could never get it just right until she taught me how. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a sauce pan, and saute one cup of dry rice for a minute or two. Add 1 and 3/4 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tsp. of cumin, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir and bring to the boil. Cover, and cut heat to the lowest flame. Let it simmer for 15 min. Fluff with a fork. Perfect Mexican rice.
Do not try to substitute any other tomato product.....it just won't work.
BTW, I buy tomato paste in a tube rather than by the can. It's always ready for this recipe, and others, in the fridge without opening a whole can.

 

[mexican mama]

I have tried this one and so far it comes close to what I had when I was in Mexico City
Tasty Authentic Mexican Rice Recipe | Mexican Food Recipe

 

[letscook]

Kayelle-- off the subject of the rice for a second . Just a note on your tomato paste, I can never find it in the tube in my area, What i do is - I brought a ice cube trays and divide the can up into tablespoon and place into the ice cube tray, when frozen take out and put in a freezer bag. works out great. I also do this with limes and lemons when the store has them on sale. zest them all and put one lemon zest into each ice cube department and then i juice them and put the juice of one lemon into the ice cube dept. the last thing is make sure you don't use the trays for anything else. i forgot and made ice - came out with a tomato taste.
By the way thanks for the recipe going to try it this week.

 

[julesthegolfer]

Re tubed tomato paste -Publix (FL grocery) doesn't carry it but our Fresh Market does. Its great- lasts a long time The brand is Amore.

 

[julesthegolfer]

Thanks Kayelle- this sounds like just what I had in mind

 

[2belucile]

My friend, who lives in Mexico, does her rice this way:
Measure the rice, measures the water.
She puts in the blender: 1 tomato ( very red), 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, and a little of the water or broth needed for the amount of the rice. Blends them very well.
Apart, in the pot or skillet, put a little of oil and saute the rice, then add the adds the tomato blend ( passing it first through a colander) and let it boil a little, so it changes color to a deep red. Than she adds the rest of the water and cooks it the regular way.
Sorry if it I cannot explain myself well.......I hope you understand what I am trying to say

 

[Selkie]

My friend, who lives in Mexico, does her rice this way... and cooks it the regular way.
Sorry if it I cannot explain myself well.......I hope you understand what I am trying to say

I think you did a very good job of explaining it!

 

[julesthegolfer]

That sounds good too- tks

 

[vagriller]

I'm so glad someone posted this thread! I've tried making mexican rice, but haven't gotten it down yet. These tips should help.

 

[Kayelle]

Kayelle-- off the subject of the rice for a second . Just a note on your tomato paste, I can never find it in the tube in my area, What i do is - I brought a ice cube trays and divide the can up into tablespoon and place into the ice cube tray, when frozen take out and put in a freezer bag. works out great. I also do this with limes and lemons when the store has them on sale. zest them all and put one lemon zest into each ice cube department and then i juice them and put the juice of one lemon into the ice cube dept. the last thing is make sure you don't use the trays for anything else. i forgot and made ice - came out with a tomato taste.
By the way thanks for the recipe going to try it this week.

Good idea. I used to do this also before I found the "tube paste". I'm getting kind of lazy lately, but it's much more economical to do it your way. As with anything else, those convenient items can get pricey. I have my own wonderful Meyer lemon tree, (lucky me) and I sure use that method for those.
Hope you enjoy the recipe.

 

[97guns]

i like to kick it up a notch when i cook mexican rice, its more of a meal for me than a side dish. i just toss rice, browned ground meat, tomatoe sauce, mexican chili powder, lots of garlic, can of red or black beans, can of olives, can of corn, and cheese. i like to think of it as a mexican fried rice.

 

[CharlieD]

My mother used to work in a kitchen. To make a lot of rice this is what they did. Cook rice a nite before, just like you would for chinese fried rice. Undecook slightly. sautee some onions and red bell peppers. Fry the rice in a little bit of oil, add sauteed stuf and a spoon or two of tomatoe paste. If you like it spicy add some hot sause to it. Done.
They would have all ingredients prpared and then they would fry as much as they needed according to orders.

 

[velochic]

My mother used to work in a kitchen. To make a lot of rice this is what they did. Cook rice a nite before, just like you would for chinese fried rice. Undecook slightly. sautee some onions and red bell peppers. Fry the rice in a little bit of oil, add sauteed stuf and a spoon or two of tomatoe paste. If you like it spicy add some hot sause to it. Done.
They would have all ingredients prpared and then they would fry as much as they needed according to orders.

If the rice is undercooked, frying it in oil is just going to make it even crunchier than it already is. You've got to have some sort of liquid, right? I'm assuming you just missed this. I think it would be hard to determine how much liquid to use for the first cooking, then how much to use for finishing without either undercooking or overcooking the rice.

I think in general, to make mexican rice, you have to have mexican flavors. Find out whatever mexican flavors you like and add them... cumin, chilies, chili powder, cilantro, tomatoes, etc.

 

[CharlieD]

I said slightly undercoked. The liquid is in tomato sause. And I do it all the time when I make fried rice or this so called "mexican" rice. When you add liquid during frying rice sucks it in and taste just perfect.

I probably should mention that by "undrcook" I mean about 2 minutes less than normal. Like for example I know that rice I use cooks exactly 20 minutes after boiling, so I cook for 18 minutes.

 

[GrillingFool]

Open box of Goya Mexican Rice.. follow directions!
LOLOLOL!
ACtually, I add sauteed peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and sometimes fresh
cilantro.

 

[vagriller]

I said slightly undercoked. The liquid is in tomato sause. And I do it all the time when I make fried rice or this so called "mexican" rice. When you add liquid during frying rice sucks it in and taste just perfect.

I probably should mention that by "undrcook" I mean about 2 minutes less than normal. Like for example I know that rice I use cooks exactly 20 minutes after boiling, so I cook for 18 minutes.

This makes sense. The other day I made some fried rice, and it tasted good but was puffy and overcooked. So undercooking it initially sounds like a good tip.

 

[velochic]

I said slightly undercoked. The liquid is in tomato sause. And I do it all the time when I make fried rice or this so called "mexican" rice. When you add liquid during frying rice sucks it in and taste just perfect.

I probably should mention that by "undrcook" I mean about 2 minutes less than normal. Like for example I know that rice I use cooks exactly 20 minutes after boiling, so I cook for 18 minutes.

Oh, you said tomato paste, not tomato sauce. Your instructions didn't have any liquids. And a "spoon or two" of even tomato sauce probably wouldn't be enough liquid, actually. I'm not trying to be critical, just for people who may be newer cooks, your instructions can be a little confusing.

Anyway, I still think it's too much trouble if you're just going to make some for dinner. Your method would be fine for a restaurant serving gallons of it and it needs to be hot on the plate at different times throughout the night, but if you're having it for dinner, might as well finish those last 2 minutes.

 

[letscook]

Kayelle --- Made your rice tonight with a little change, i saute a small onion and a green pepper chopped up then added the rice cooked it for the min or 2 and then the cumin and tomato paste and instead of water i added chicken broth instead
came out great and is delious. thanks alot.