Believe it or not, cooking rice is my Achilles' heel. I think that I just like to experiment and tinker with quantities so much that my rice either comes out underdone or gummy and over-cooked. So, I've taken advice and realized that when it comes to rice cooking, you either have to follow directions or you use a rice cooker. I know eventually I'll get the "formula" right but this time I followed directions...somewhat. I only tweaked the type of rice I used and I added more Serrano peppers to mine (I like it spicy), and I added the lime zest and juice at the end. Anyhoo, here it is, my first somewhat-nice-looking-rice I have ever done!
- 3 cups packed cilantro leaves (about 3 ounces)
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- 2 medium serrano chile, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
- 2 cups Basmati rice (I used Fresh and Easy basmati rice that is already pre-soaked; original recipe calls for 2 cups long grain white rice)
- 1 teaspoon of kosther salt (original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt, so you can add a little more if you're a salty type of person)
- Zest of one lime
- The juice of the lime
- Wedges of lime, for garnish (optional)
Combine cilantro, garlic, chile, and 2 cups broth in a blender and process until smooth; set aside.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add rice and salt stir to coat in oil and cook until rice becomes lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
Carefully pour the cilantro mixture and the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth into the rice and stir to combine.
Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low so rice is at a simmer. Cover and cook until rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat. Add the zest and lime juice, fluff with fork and let rice rest covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork again, garnish with lime wedges and serve.
