I remember growing up that rice was one of those things we always ate with pretty much every meal and almost every single night. Some Latin American cultures favor the tortilla or perhaps the occasional papa (potato) dish. In my family, white rice was our staple. Since we cooked it so often you can imagine how we know how to make the perfect pot of rice every time.
You need to have a rice pot. And I’m not talking about a rice cooker because that’s completely different. I mean a pot that will end up being your go to rice pot that’ll create endless amounts of yumminess. Not that you’ll never use it for anything else, but you will always cook your rice in it.
I was gifted my own rice pot when I got married. It was like a rite of passage. Each one of my sisters and I have, or will get, a rice pot, because we know you can’t make a decent pot of rice without it. Perhaps we exaggerate a bit, but this has worked for us for my whole life and I’m not going to question it!
You not only need the right kind of pot but the right type of rice. You will need to use long grain white rice. I’ve tried cooking brown rice the same way and it just didn’t work. I had to use my crock pot for brown rice because of how differently it cooks compared to long grain white rice.
Cooking rice is so simple but can go so wrong if you don’t follow the right steps. As I mentioned in previous posts, we never measured out the ingredients when making rice. That is probably why I have had to practice before getting it just right. We mastered the eyeballing technique very well at my parents because we worked with the same pot every time.
After you get this recipe down you will find yourself relying less on measurements and more on instinct. The only ingredients needed for this classic staple are long grain white rice, onions, garlic, sat and water. Basic, simple, and full of flavor. You can replace the onions with onion powder if you like the flavor of onions but not the onions themselves. Same with the garlic.
When we were running low on fresh ingredients or short on time my mom would do the quick version and use garlic salt and onion powder if we had it. It’s possible, but you can’t beat fresh ingredients.
If you are chopping fresh ingredients set you water to boil on high first, so by the time you’re done chopping you have boiling water.
Heat the oil in the rice pot oh high and pour in the garlic and onions. This will cook fast so make sure you don’t step away. Pour in you rice and stir so the garlic and onions get mixed in well. The salt will go in before the water, so once the boiling water is added in slowly the salt will just melt away into the mix.
Stir the rice a bit and let it settle. It should be bubbling, but don’t worry, it’ll settle down once you lower the flame. Now this is the tricky part and will probably take one or two times to get it right. On some stoves, going to the lowest setting is perfect. However, I learned on mine that it needs to be slightly higher than the lowest setting. I recommend starting with the lowest and checking in on the rice after 20 mins. Your rice should steam perfectly for 35-40 minutes. The time depends on whether you want some cocolón.
Cocolón, which is often mistaken as burnt rice, is just crispy rice that has browned a bit at the bottom of the pot. This. Is. Amazing. Seriously, in our house we fought over the cocolón and would always ask our Dad to make it. If you ever get to make some by accident (and it’s for sure NOT burnt) then I highly recommend trying it. It’s full of garlicy flavor.
You can always choose to make additions to the rice once you’ve perfected it. Some Ecuadorians add achiote to the garlic and onions in order to make Arroz Amarillo, or Yellow Rice. This goes great with a traditional dish called Seco de Gallina/Pollo. I’ll make that soon and also a variation that my family learned to do that we call Pollo Borracho, or Drunken Chicken.
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out! What do you eat your rice with? I’d love to know!
The Perfect Pot of Rice
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of uncooked long grain white rice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 medium white onion (or 1/2 tbsp onion powder)
- 1 tbsp of sea salt
- 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups of water
Equipment needed:
- Medium pot with top to cook rice
- Small pot for water
Instructions:
- Put the 4 cups of water in a small pot on high heat and let boil.
- Mince your garlic and chop your onions while you are waiting for the water to boil.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot on high and add the garlic and onions in the pot.
- Stir the ingredients so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add in the rice then the salt and stir.
- Add in the water and stir so all the ingredients are mixed. Make sure the rice is settled evenly at the bottom before covering.
- Cook on low for 35 (40 minutes if you want cocolón).
- Once the timer is up the rice should be fluffy but not splitting. You don’t want to have soggy rice.
- Serve with chicken, meat, beans, or eggs and enjoy!
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Amor y Ajo 