Cook White Rice Peruvian Style
Peruvian-style white rice is exquisite and rich and can be eaten by itself. In Peru this style of rice is called "arroz graneado" (literally meaning "grained rice”) because its unique texture. To cook Peruvian-style white rice, follow these instructions.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2 cups regular white rice
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- Salt or a cube of chicken bouillon (optional)
Steps
- Put oil in a medium to large pan and turn to medium-high. Let the oil warm as you prepare.
- When the oil hot enough, add garlic and fry until brown. This just takes a few seconds. If you aren’t sure whether or not the oil is hot enough, look for tiny surface ripples or place your hand a few inches above the pan and gauge the radiant heat.
- Rinse rice in a sieve. If you don’t have a sieve with small enough holes, rinse it in a cheesecloth or dish towel.
- Add wet rice to the pan and stir. Make sure it mixes well with the garlic.
- Add water to the pan. Salt the water if desired; alternatively, add a cube of chicken bouillon to the water and let it dissolve as the water heats.
- Turn the heat up to bring the water to a boil. It only needs to boil for a few seconds.
- Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes without peeking. Note that simmering rice has a tendency to create white foam that bubbles out onto your stovetop; if foam is a problem for you, set the lid askew until the mixture gets drier, then cover completely.
- Turn off the heat, uncover, and fluff the rice with a fork. The grains should be plump and soft, and not pasty.
Tips
- Some rice has been enriched with powdered vitamins and minerals. It’s best not to rinse this type of rice.
- Rice usually goes with a main dish by its side, usually some type of "estofado" or stew.
- "Simmering gently" can be tricky. Usually in an electric range it would be 2/10 of the highest temperature, or a little bit above the "low" setting. Cooking it too low will cause the rice to cook only on the outside and not the inside, which is unfixable. Cooking too high will cause it to cook unevenly and possibly burn the bottom.
Warnings
- Do not lift that lid before the time is up. If you do, put it back immediately. This can alter the texture of the rice and ruin it.
