Mexican Madness #3...Green Rice

...This is another side dish that we'd tried at Wahaca itself...there they serve it in small earthenware pots that look really great next to the Refried Beans and Guacamole...and it's another dish that I've been meaning to make for ages!!! So I'm really pleased to say I have now done just that!!! It takes a wee bit of preparation at the start, but nothing too taxing...

The recipe makes enough for 4 people, so as it was just hubby and myself I halved everything...(but will give you the amount for 4)...
...The first step is to take a clove of garlic, a small onion, a bunch of parsley or spinach (I used flat leaf parsley) and a couple handfuls of fresh coriander and 2 Tbsp olive oil...stick it all in a blender of some form or other...I used my stick blender, and whizzzzzz it up to form a lovely green puree..Isn't the colour fab?!?






Then you heat a bit of oil in a pan (2 Tbsp of olive oil the recipe says, but I found 1 was plenty)...and fry the puree for  a few minutes - about 5 or so, and you need to keep stirring so it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan...Ideally this should be done in a pan with a lid that will go in the oven...but I didn't have one the right size...so used a normal saucepan and transfered mine later..

Once fried for the 5 mins or so it changes from the vibrant pea green to a darker colour...the frying just cooks out the onion and garlic to mellow and develop the flavours...

Rinse about 400g of basmati rice (until the water runs as clear as you can get it) then add this to the now cooked puree and mix...


















You should have a lovely green rice mix now...

To this, add 600ml chicken or vegetable stock (or even just water is fine too)...stir, bring to the boil...

...and simmer for 15 mins or so, until most of whatever liquid you used has been absorbed...


...just had to take this photo as I loved the patterns it made!!

Once the liquid has almost all absorbed, you need to cover it with greaseproof paper (or butter papers if you've any lying around)...put the lid on too...

...and pop it into a very low oven at Gas 1/120c for 30 mins...this was when I had to transfer mine into a different container...

...Once cooked, fluff with a fork and serve...


... unfortunately mine wasn't quite cooked enough, the rice still had a bit too much bite to it, which I think was completely my fault...I don't think I cooked mine on the hob for long enough...I was a bit distracted by children being on Easter Hols at this point, and put it into the oven too soon...


...However we ate it, and it tasted great, I think it would go really well with grilled meat or veg too...not just as a Mexican side dish...and I am definitely going to be making it again...


UPDATE...and in fact I did make it again, yesterday...to go alongside some Picadillo and Chicken Tinga...but this time I used my Le Crueset for the whole process, no swapping from pan to casserole dish, and the whole thing was great...I could become addicted to this rice so easily, and it would be just fab alongside grilled fish or meat...maybe even as a BBQ side dish...but my advice, if you can stick with it all in one dish, do it...oh and one more thing...I added about another 100-150ml stock to mine, and it made all the difference....good luck x