Adding herbs or spices to rice livens up an otherwise bland dish.
Plain rice served up on a regular basis quickly becomes as unremarkable as bread and butter. While rice provides a filling place at the table; experimenting with herbs and spices lifts the commonplace staple into an appealing side dish with little effort. When choosing rice to accompany your meal, try varieties like jasmine, basmati or brown rice for additional flavor and texture. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil or butter in the saucepan over low heat. Be careful not to burn it, you only need approximately 30 seconds to get the fats heated.
2. Add one cup of rice to the oil or butter and stir until the grain appears well coated.
3. Toss one to two teaspoons of the herbs and spices of your choosing. Good, complementary flavors for rice include cilantro, tumeric, marjoram, tarragon, onion powder, paprika, parsley, cardamom or saffron. Fresh or dried herbs will work equally well although you may wish to add a little more or less depending on your taste.
4. Sauté the rice and herbs for one minute, stirring continuously to prevent burning. This step allows the flavors to strengthen before adding the cooking water.
5. Pour two cups of water into the saucepan and bring the heat to high until the water has reached a rolling boil.
6. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the saucepan. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Brown rice will take slightly longer and will require an extra one half-cup of water.
Tags: herbs spices