Spiced rice for the win!
I used an adaptation of Tunde Wey’s recipe, available in The Immigrant Cookbook.
Ingredients:
Per 3-4 servings:
- 1/4 red onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium-large tomato, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 Habanero pepper, deseeded and coarsely chopped
- 1-1.5 bell peppers, coarsely chopped (I used green, but red peppers are used traditionally)
- 1.25 cups rice (I used basmati)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- .75 teaspoon salt (adjust according to taste)
- spices:
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- .75 teaspoon cayenne (plus some more for garnish)
Instructions:
- In a blender or food processor, add the red onion, tomato, and habanero pepper. Blend/process until smooth.
- Transfer 1/2 of the mixture to a separate bowl and set aside. Add the bell peppers and blend/process until smooth.
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Combine both of the puréed mixtures and set aside.
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Add the rice to a sieve and rinse until the water runs clear.
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In a small-medium pot, heat the vegetable oil and add the blended vegetables. Mix to combine. Add the salt and all of the spices. Bring this to a boil, and then add the rinsed rice. Stir to combine, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover the pot.
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Cook for about 25 minutes, and then check on the rice. Add more water as needed (I added ~1 cup water at this point). If the rice is sauce-logged, remove the lid to cook excess liquid. Allow the rice at the bottom to char a little for a smoky flavor. The total cook time for the rice is ~45 minutes on a simmer.
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When rice is cooked, remove from heat, fluff, garnish with cayenne pepper, and serve!