Arroz Verde (Mexican Inexperienced Rice)

When most individuals consider Mexican rice, their minds go straight to arroz rojo, the beloved purple tomato-tinged model that seems alongside dishes like enchiladas and pollo asado. Arroz verde, inexperienced rice—its verdant, barely extra mysterious cousin—typically flies beneath the radar. Historically, its colour and taste come from inexperienced chiles like poblanos or jalapeños, inexperienced herbs, and/or leafy greens like spinach, however it’s a splendidly versatile dish that fortunately accepts no matter flavorful greenery is in your crisper drawer. Mint, dill, basil, scallions—something fragrant, contemporary, or floppy from final week’s farmers market haul has potential.

In my recipe for arroz verde beneath, I lean into equal elements cilantro, parsley, and epazote, which collectively create a taste profile that is contemporary, grassy, and faintly earthy. Serranos carry a cleaner, sharper warmth than the milder poblanos or jalapeños typically utilized in arroz verde, however they cease effectively in need of overpowering the remainder of the meal. A squeeze of lime on the desk brightens the whole lot, giving the rice a citrusy end that retains every chew full of life.

Constructing Wealthy Taste within the Rice

A key step in each purple and inexperienced Mexican rice is frying the raw grains in oil. This does two issues: It seasons the rice with a heat, toasty basis and helps stop the dreaded mush issue. On this inexperienced model, I take the flavor-building a step additional by first slowly cooking onion, garlic, and serranos in oil. This low-and-slow confit technique mellows their uncooked edge, reworking the onion and garlic into one thing candy and jammy whereas letting the chiles infuse the oil with a aromatic warmth. As soon as softened, they’re blended with the contemporary herbs and a splash of broth to create an electric-green purée that serves because the flavorful base of the dish.

Placing It All Collectively

The rice is fried straight in that now-aromatic oil till the grains flip crisp and evenly golden. Steady stirring whereas toasting the rice is important to coax every grain into its greatest self and to keep away from clumping and scorching. After the rice is toasted, the blended herb combination is added to it. When the inexperienced purée hits the pan, transfer rapidly: You wish to rapidly stir and coat the rice evenly with out over-cooking the purée, which may boring its brightness and mute the natural freshness.

From right here, the ratio of rice to liquid is what ensures fluffy, totally cooked grains. This recipe makes use of a 1:1.5 ratio (1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups whole liquid), which helps the rice soak up taste with out changing into waterlogged. As soon as the combination involves a simmer and the rice has absorbed a lot of the liquid, an important step is letting it relaxation off the warmth. Leaving the rice lined for 10 to twenty minutes permits residual steam to softly and evenly end cooking the grains. Resist the temptation to peek: You need each little bit of trapped steam to soak up into the rice.

Arroz verde is an adaptable facet dish. Its delicate natural taste pairs effectively with delicate meals similar to seafood or braised greens, however I do not restrict it to Mexican menus. It pairs simply as effectively with curries, stir-fried meats, roasted rooster, and saucy braises. Wherever you’d sometimes attain for plain rice, this vibrant, inexperienced, fragrant model provides a little bit extra character.