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Arroz Rojo (Red Tomato Rice, Mexican-style)

November 24, 2007 |

In Spanish, arroz = rice, rojo = red.

Rice first came to Mexico from the Phillipines in the 1500s through the Spanish galleon (trade ship) “Nao de China” (Ship from China), anchored in Acapulco.

Since then, rice has been extensively cultivated in the Veracruz region, and is a staple on the Mexican menu.

The history of rice in Mexico .

We set about making Arroz Rojo with the biggest onion we had ever seen, brought to us by our Mexican friend Susanna. She got it from her friend who works on an onion farm. She says we ain’t seen nothing yet. She’s got bigger ones in her house.

In Susanna’s village in Guadalajara, for special occasions, rice is cooked pilaf style, either as Arroz Rojo (in a red tomatoey sauce), or as Arroz Verde (green, with fresh chillies like poblanos.)

A common flavouring for red rice in her home is Mexican chili powder - a mixture of ancho and cayenne chili powder with cumin, dried oregano and garlic powder. (Recipe HERE). Smoky Spanish paprika is a decent substitute for ancho chilli powder.

That was the only addition we made to this recipe by Rick Bayless - the linguistics scholar and celebrity chef who popularised authentic Mexican cuisine in the US.

Arroz Rojo a la Mexicana (Mexican Red Tomato Rice)

(adapted from Rick Bayless’s recipe @ gourmetsleuth.com)

Rinse
1.5 cups of medium-grained rice
a couple of times and spread the grains out on a towel to dry for a couple of hours.

Drain
one 15 ounce can of whole tomatoes.

Reserve the liquid. Blend the whole tomatoes to a puree with
1 cup white onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, halved
(If using crushed or diced canned tomatoes, use 1 cup)

Oil
3 medium or 4 small whole tomatoes.
Broil or grill them until the skins are charred.
Peel, chop finely and keep aside.

Fry the rice grains in
1.5 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil (lard is usually used)
for 4-5 mts until toasty on a medium flame.

Add tomato-onion-garlic puree and
1 cup carrots chopped into 1/4 inch cubes.

Cook for 3 minutes until dry-looking.

Add
vegetable broth/water plus reserved tomato liquid - 1.75 cups total (traditionally chicken broth is used)
3 slit fresh serrano or jalapeno chillies,
1/2 tsp Mexican chilli powder
**or a mixture of paprika, cayenne, cumin, garlic powders and dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
salt to taste

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes. Check after 10 to see if you need more liquid.

Add the chopped roasted tomatoes and
3/4 cup frozen peas.

Cover and cook for 5 more minutes or unil the rice is cooked. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork, and serve.

Arroz Rojo is traditionally served with chicken or beef in a mole or a stew.

This is our entry for Dhivya’s A.W.E.D @ Culinary Bazaar.

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27 Comments so far

  1. Nupur on November 24, 2007 9:18 am

    How perfectly delicious! I can almost taste it.

  2. sra on November 24, 2007 9:49 am

    Onionosaurus rex! :D

  3. sushma on November 24, 2007 9:55 am

    Simply.. superbous..

  4. aa on November 24, 2007 12:49 pm

    Oh this is amazing! Like Nupur says, I can almost taste it — it looks (and strangely, already, smells) delicious :)

  5. musical on November 24, 2007 12:56 pm

    Sumptuous! Love the look of those tomatoes :) and i find those huge onions so cool, cut one onion and use it in 4-5 different dishes :-D

  6. Vegeyum @ A Life (Time) of Cookin on November 24, 2007 2:12 pm

    Oh, really, look at those tomatoes! So very very nice. I can actually taste them as I look at them. There is just something about tomatoes, isnt there? Your rice dish will make a nice brunch if I can get off of this blogging seat and start cooking.

  7. RedChillies on November 24, 2007 3:41 pm

    Numero Uno :yes:

  8. Meera on November 24, 2007 5:17 pm

    Absolutely droolworthy picture.

  9. sunita on November 24, 2007 5:48 pm

    Lovely rice…and I also like the onionosaurus rex :)

  10. Anh on November 24, 2007 8:03 pm

    Beautiful photos and a even more delicious recipe!

  11. Deepa on November 24, 2007 9:47 pm

    Awesome ….Pics look great

  12. lathanarasimhan on November 25, 2007 12:35 am

    Nice pictures! looks delicious! :)Spanish seems to be a sweet language! I liked the name in spanish! :)

  13. Miri on November 25, 2007 6:13 am

    Rich looking rice - sounds delicious. I thought all Mexican rice recipes had roasted peppers pureed along with the tomatoes…..this one is much more simpler and hassle free!

  14. Siri on November 25, 2007 6:29 am

    :D The color of the rice is tooo good! :love:

    ~ Siri

  15. Happy Cook on November 25, 2007 6:36 am

    Delicious looking rice.
    I can just eat the grilled tomatoes just loke that with bread yumm.
    You guys make suuc a variety of dishes

  16. Seema on November 25, 2007 7:46 am

    Looks Yum!! What a perfect colour & if only i could taste some….

  17. rachel on November 25, 2007 10:00 am

    hey lovely recipe again..And i love :hmm: that red bowl!!! great pics! :bow:

    And have mailed you bee regarding what I meant by cooking butter :)

  18. Rajitha on November 25, 2007 11:20 am

    the rice looks great..love mexican rice but always felt something was missing when i made it at home..will try this..and that bowl is adorable!

  19. Carnation on November 25, 2007 8:15 pm

    I usually make Mexican Rice using the store bought Rice mix from Knorr. Didn’t get good results when i tried it at home using a recipe i got over internet. This recipe sounds good. Tempting snaps also…Have to try it out :)

  20. lakshmi on November 26, 2007 12:02 am

    :faint:

  21. lakshmi on November 26, 2007 12:03 am

    wait, did i hear you say there are onions bigger than this?

  22. Raaga on November 26, 2007 4:36 am

    looks lovely… a great lunchbox idea too :)

  23. Namratha on November 26, 2007 9:15 am

    Looks wholesome, and rice is a sure fav here…can good old Indian rice (sona masoori) be used for this too?

    sure.

  24. rina on November 26, 2007 12:04 pm

    I love tomatoe rice. Your bowl looks tempting and perfect, Bee :yes:

  25. Culinary Concoctions by Peabody » Come On In….. on December 8, 2007 2:48 pm

    […] pickiest eaters. It is gluten free, nut free and vegan! A tempting dish with the flavors of Mexico, Arroz Rojo brings a great international flare to the […]

  26. canelaycomino on December 9, 2007 5:44 am

    This sounds like a delicious and satisfying dish. Here in Peru, a meal is not a meal without rice!

  27. DK on April 22, 2008 5:21 pm

    I have made them before although not included carrots. Good reason to add them seeing your snaps :) Thanks for sending them my way :)

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