Healthy Mexican Brown Rice (Print version)
A nutty, fiber-rich Mexican brown rice side dish toasted with tomatoes, cumin, and garlic. Ready in under an hour.
# Ingredients:
For the rice
01 -
1 cup (190 g) long-grain brown rice, rinsed and drained well
02 -
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
For the sauce and seasoning
03 -
3 medium Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped (or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes)
04 -
1/2 small white onion, roughly chopped
05 -
2 cloves garlic, peeled
06 -
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
07 -
1 teaspoon ground cumin
08 -
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
09 -
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For finishing
10 -
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
11 -
1 lime, cut into wedges
# Instructions:
01 -
Combine the chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the broth in a blender. Puree until completely smooth and set aside.
02 -
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the drained brown rice and stir constantly until the grains smell nutty and look slightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes.
03 -
Pour in the blended tomato mixture. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 5 minutes.
04 -
Add the remaining 2 cups of broth and stir once. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes. Resist lifting the lid.
05 -
Remove the pot from heat. Let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, fold in the cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.
# Good to know:
01 -
Brown rice requires a longer simmer than white rice. Patience yields fluffy, separate grains.