On Monday, I did a post on Nando’s style lemon and herb sauce. Here is the perfect side dish for the meal – a take on Nando’s spicy rice. I have to say that I am not really a huge fan of rice, but I love this rice. I always make extra, because hubby loves having the rice for lunch the next day.
Every time I cook this, I have a good giggle. I have a friend who told us that when she was newlywed, she called her mom to ask for dinner ideas. Her mother suggested she make Mexican spicy rice. She then made the rice. That night at dinner, her husband, eating the rice, said it was nice, but very crunchy. She didn’t realise that the rice needed to be boiled after being fried! Now I can’t make spicy rice without thinking about her:)
Ingredients:
*1/2 finely chopped onion
*1/2 finely chopped red pepper (you can leave this out, but I think it just adds to the taste)
*2 chicken stock cubes OR chicken stock OR chicken bone broth (you would use 4 cups, and then just add more as needed)
*A handful of frozen peas (or you can just use drained tinned peas, and add it towards the end of the cooking time – say around five minutes before the rice is done).
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*1/2 teaspoon turmeric
*1/2 teaspoon paprika (I have used cayenne pepper as well, with no real taste difference)
* 4 cups water if not using stock or bone broth
*Chilli powder – depending on how spicy you like it (I have used whole chillies too – we like it spicy, so I add two whole medium chillies)
***Most recipes like this don’t call for garlic, but we love garlic, so I add a quarter teaspoon of crushed garlic to it.
Method:
There are two ways to do this: you can fry the onions and peppers with the spices, add the rice once the onions are translucent and fry the rice lightly. Then add water and your stock cubes, and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 20 minutes, or until all your water or stock is absorbed. You need to keep a fairly close eye on it for the last five to ten minutes, as it does burn easily. Once the water is absorbed, check the rice to see if it is cooked. It should be soft, but not mushy. If it is still a little hard, add some more liquid to it, and cook for a further five minutes or so, until it is cooked.
Method number two: We like the onions and peppers still fairly crunchy, so I fry the onions and peppers, then remove from the pot. Fry your rice and spices in a little oil, and continue with the recipe as above. When the liquid is almost all gone, add the peppers and onions and finish off the rice as above.
Serve with your lemon and herb or peri-peri chicken and a green salad. Yum!