I grew up eating rice at almost every meal. It was a cultural thing in my family, and I didn’t complain. I love rice. We ate it almost every single day; breakfast, lunch, or dinner. My mom would serve us rice in many different ways; she’d add rice to our soup, mix it with eggs in the morning, or make rice patties that she would fry. Rice was life! I am happy eating just white rice as a side, but many people like to spice up their rice to give it more flavor. If you want to know how to spice up rice to make it even more delicious, then you’re at the right place. You can add all kinds of seasonings to rice to make it taste better; you can add meats and veggies and make rice the main dish! Either way, rice is an amazing addition to any meal. Let’s learn how to spice it up!
Spices to Add to Rice to Enhance the Taste
If you’re not a fan of plain white rice, there are several different spices you can add to it to make it taste better. If you don’t know how to spice up rice to enhance the taste, this information is for you! One of the spices you can add to rice to give it flavor is saffron. Saffron rice is very popular and delicious. Plus, it is very easy to make. You simply cook the rice in vegetable or chicken stock that’s had saffron added to it. All you have to do is get your stock ready and add enough saffron to make it orange in color. Then, you cook your rice in this and you’re done! It’ll be yellow rice with added flavor that you’ll enjoy! To enhance it, even more, you can cook onions in the pan you’ll cook the rice; then, add the stock over the onions before you add the rice. Delicious!
Another way to spice up your rice is with turmeric! Turmeric actually has a lot of health benefits. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. You can cook some onions and garlic in oil in the rice pan. Then once cooked, add chicken or vegetable broth, then add turmeric and your rice. Once the rice is cooked, you’ll have delicious and healthy turmeric rice! You can also spice up your rice even more by making it coconut curry rice! I love coconut curry and you very well may love it too! You will simply mix curry powder in a coconut milk and vegetable stock blend. Then, you simply cook the rice in this and it’ll come out flavorful! As with the other spiced rice, cooking some onions, garlic, or both in the pan before adding the stock enhances the flavors even more!
How to Add Flavor to Cooked Rice to Make it More Delicious
There are a ton of different spices that can be added to rice to enhance the flavor, but what if your rice is already cooked and plain? If you’re not into cooking your rice in different stock types with different seasoning, there are other ways to make cooked rice even better. You might use a rice cooker and need a way to add flavor to already cooked rice. You can still spice it up! One of the most delicious rice dishes you can make with already cooked rice is cilantro lime rice! All you have to do is squeeze some lime onto your rice and some chopped cilantro. Mix it well, and you’re done! Cilantro lime rice goes great with Mexican dishes or in burritos! It also tastes delicious with grilled steak or fish.
You can also take an Italian route with your already cooked rice, and spice it up with parmesan cheese and butter. Add some butter into some hot already cooked rice and mix it until its melted, and then mix in some parmesan cheese. It’ll give it a deliciously cheesy and buttery taste. You can also mix your rice with some creamy gravy! Lot’s of people love gravy over rice, and it really tastes delicious. If you’ve got some broccoli and cheese, try adding this into your rice. It is very yummy! There are many countless things you can add to already cooked rice to make it taste even better.
How to Cook Rice to Make it a Complete Meal
One of the most popular methods of eating rice in my family was making Arroz con Pollo. This translates to Chicken Rice in Spanish. It is delicious rice cooked in chicken broth with shredded chicken and vegetables in it. I grew up eating this a lot; in fact, it was my favorite dish. It is very easy to make too. All you have to do is cook a couple of chicken breasts in some water seasoned with salt, pepper, and adobo all-purpose seasoning. Once the chicken is cooked, set the chicken in a separate bowl and save the chicken broth. Then, in a separate pot (large enough to cook 2 cups of rice) add about a tablespoon of oil and add 4 cloves of garlic chopped. Cook at medium heat. Once the garlic has cooked for about 30 seconds, add about 4 cups of the saved chicken broth into the pot. Season the water with a packet of Sazon seasoning with coriander and annatto. Add 2 cups of rice, 1 can of mixed vegetables, and about a cup of chopped red peppers. Bring it to a boil and cook uncovered.
While the rice water is boiling, chop and shred the chicken breasts. When the water has evaporated to the point where there is no longer a puddle of water on top of the rice, mix in the shredded chicken. Immediately cover and lower the heat to low. Let this cook for 20 minutes, then uncover the rice and stir. It may need an additional 5-10 minutes covered, depending on the consistency of the rice. Once the rice is fully cooked, it is done! You can also take your rice in an Asian direction and make Chicken Fried Rice. You simply get cooked rice and fry it in soy sauce and a mixture of sesame and vegetable oil. Then, add an egg, some frozen peas and carrots, chopped scallions, and diced cooked chicken! Stir it all in a large wok and fry it until it looks like delicious Chinese takeout!
Rice is the Way to Go!
You can enjoy plain white rice or spice it up. Now, you know how to spice up rice to make it even more delicious! You don’t have to just stick with plain white rice anymore. You can make any meal even better with savory saffron rice as the side; you can make cilantro lime rice too. Cook it in coconut and curry for a delicious twist! Rice is one of those foods that has endless possibilities. You can make an entire meal out of rice with nutritious meats and veggies in it! Whether you make arroz con pollo or chicken fried rice, you’ll be satisfied by the end of your meal. There are lots of different rice dishes with other kinds of meats and veggies added to it. Nothing is lacking when you add rice to your diet that you can transform into whatever you wish. It is a food that is eaten in many different ways in many different cultures across the world. Rice is truly the way to go!
