With the advent of various household appliances, the number of various recipes has increased. This also applies to the rice cooker. This is an excellent device that helps to prepare various types of dishes. Read about the Chipotle cilantro lime rice recipe in a rice cooker in this article.
Features of cilantro lime rice
Before proceeding to study the question, of how to make cilantro lime rice in a rice cooker, you should familiarize yourself with the features of the dish. Rice, to which lime and cilantro are added, has an excellent aroma.
The dish contains no gluten. The amount of fats and oils is low, so this is a great solution for people who are watching their figures. The recipe is universal. It can be prepared in any kitchen as long as you have a rice cooker. The dish is appropriate for the cuisine of any country.
You can use the mass to make a quick burrito. Just add some beans, vegetables, and salsa.
If you like healthy foods, add guacamole.
Cauliflower rice is also an ideal combination of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Why does the recipe work?
Cooking cilantro lime rice in a rice cooker is much easier and faster. It is enough to fill the device with components, run it, and leave it. You do not need to monitor the cooking process because the components do not burn. Therefore, this is the best solution for those who do not have the opportunity to stand at the stove.
If you use long-grain white rice, the dish comes out crumbly. If you’re making sushi rice that needs to be moist and sticky, opt for short-grain rice. Short-grain rice is the best choice.
List of required ingredients to cook white rice
If you decide to cook cilantro lime rice, it makes sense to prepare a list of necessary ingredients in advance. Let’s read the cilantro lime rice recipe.
White rice: canilla rice, basmati rice, or jasmine rice
So, medium grain rice, short-grain, or long-grain rice better to use? You need long-grain rice to work. The best solution would be jasmine rice, basmati rice, or canilla. Before you start cooking, it is recommended to rinse the rice well. This helps remove excess starch.
If you don’t, the basmati rice or jasmine rice becomes sticky. If you use canilla rice, you don’t need to rinse it. This significantly reduces the cooking time.
Quite often people use brown rice. Be prepared that use brown rice increases the cooking time. Therefore, you have to follow the instructions on the package of brown rice to understand how long it takes to cook 1 cup of brown rice.
Bay leaf
Quite often, bay leaves are added to the cooked rice in a rice cooker. This contributes to the herbal and peppery taste. For 1 cup of rice, you can add about 3-4 leaves. However, the amount can be adjusted, depending on how much you like the bay leaf.
Rice bran oil or olive oil
It is not uncommon for cooks to add a little oil to the rice. If you don’t have rice bran oil or olive oil, you can use another neutral oil. It must have a delicate taste and aroma.
Cilantro
It is recommended to opt for fresh cilantro. You can add not only fresh cilantro leaves but also stems. It is believed that it is in them that the most amount of aroma.
Lemon juice or lime juice
Be careful with these components. After all, it is likely to overdo it with them and spoil the taste of the finished dish. It is better to add ingredients little by little and taste the rice each time.
Cooking principle
- If you are making cilantro lime rice, then it is better to follow the exact instructions. First, as already mentioned, you need to rinse the rice. To do this, use a fine sieve. This removes not only dirt but also excess starch.
- This ensures that the cilantro lime rice cooks evenly. If you skip this step, the cilantro lime rice texture will be ruined. Fill the bowl of the rice cooker with washed rice. Add the right amount of water, and bay leaf. In the end, everything will need to be thoroughly mixed. If the water becomes cloudy, don’t worry. This is a normal process.
- However, it is better to rinse the rice so that the water is clear afterward. If the water is more like diluted milk, then you need to re-wash the rice. After all, this indicates the presence of a large amount of starch, which is better to remove.
- If you are cooking cilantro lime rice in a rice cooker, it is best to set the device to White Rice mode. Fill the bowl with water and rice and start the device. To make the taste more intense, it is recommended to add a little ground garlic. Cook according to the instructions that came with the rice cooker.
- When the process is complete, the bay leaf needs to be removed. Refrigerate the cooked rice for a few minutes. After that, you can add cilantro and lime juice. Mix them with cooked rice thoroughly with a fork. Taste the dish. If necessary, increase the amount of salt, herbs, and lime juice.
Making cilantro lime rice: cooking tips
If you are cooking rice with cilantro and lime, then the greens do not need to be added immediately. It is recommended to let the flavorful rice rest a little. If you ignore this recommendation, the heat from the rice destroys the texture and flavor of the cilantro. Leaves become dull.
You can also add black beans. First, they need to be washed and dried on a paper towel. This saturates the dish with additional protein. Do not leave cilantro lime rice with beans for more than 2 hours at room temperature. Because of its moist texture, bacteria thrive here. So keep the rice cool.
Features of storing leftovers
If you have leftover cilantro lime rice that you could not consume, you can send it to the refrigerator for storage. If you use an airtight container, then the shelf life is 4-5 days.
Before sending the dish to storage in the refrigerator, it needs to be cooled for several hours at room temperature. This prevents the development of bacteria.
Freezing option
You can freeze cilantro lime rice if needed. If all storage rules are followed, then the shelf life is 2-3 months. Before freezing rice, it needs to be cooled and divided into small portions. To do this, you can use containers or packages.
Before you seal the cilantro lime rice in bags, you have to remove the air. Don’t forget to label packages and containers afterward. You must indicate the date when you packed everything. To do this, use a marker or stickers.
Freezing cilantro lime rice greatly simplifies the process of its use in the future. If necessary, it is enough to defrost it, and warm it up a little. After that, you can immediately serve it to the table.
Some housewives prefer to store flavorful rice in glass jars. The optimal volume is 16 ounces. In the future, you can defrost the product in portions, depending on the number of guests or family members. The rice must be pre-chilled. If you freeze it while warm, condensation forms inside the bag or container.
This causes the grains to taste like vinegar and become watery. This will spoil the texture and taste of the finished dish.
Features of heating rice
As soon as you get the cilantro lime rice from its permanent storage place, it needs to be reheated before serving. The principle depends on where exactly the finished dish was stored. If the rice has been refrigerated, you need to add some water while reheating. This gets rid of lumps of dry grains.
You can heat it in a pot or pan on the stove. Stir the mixture until it is warm. If you are heating the dish in the microwave, you have to cover the container with a lid. Warm up for half a minute, in small intervals. Do this until the cilantro lime rice reaches your desired temperature.
If the rice was frozen, then the container first needs to be refrigerated for several hours. This allows the rice to become fluffier. After defrosting, it should be carried out in a microwave oven or on a stove using the technology that was described earlier.
Difference between rice cookers and instant pot
Quite often, people struggle to understand what exactly is the difference between a rice cooker method and an Instant Pot. Both devices have an identical principle of operation. However, Instant Pot allows you to speed up the process of preparing rice by a quarter of an hour. You can use such a device if you are limited in cooking time.
However, the Instant Pot method requires more maintenance. You need to make sure that the pressure in the container is correct. If necessary, manually release the pressure 8 minutes after starting the device. Otherwise, the rice overcooks and loses its texture.
The rice cooker method can be used if you want to avoid watching the cooking process. After all, after the end of preparing rice, the device automatically switches to the “Heating” mode. Because of this, even after a few hours, you still have warm rice, suitable for consumption.
If you cook rice in a rice cooker, you have to increase the amount of water by half a glass. After all, they emit a lot of steam when compared with Instant Pot. Therefore, to compensate for the loss of water, it will need to be added.
Detailed rice cooker recipes for preparing rice with cilantro and lime
This recipe is in great demand. Especially when it comes to Mexican or Italian cuisine. At the same time, you can cook it yourself in just half an hour or less.
List of ingredients and tools
Before starting work, you should prepare a rice cooker and a juicer to get lime juice. You also need a fine mesh sieve.
Of the main ingredients you need:
- fresh white long-grain rice: basmati rice or jasmine rice – 2 cups;
- water – 2-2.5 cups;
- rice bran oil or olive oil – 2 tablespoons;
- laurel leaf – 4 pieces;
- cilantro – 2/3 cup;
- lime juice and lime zest – to taste;
- lemon juice – 1 tablespoon;
- salt – to taste;
- garlic powder – to taste.
Cooking process
First, rinse the long-grain rice. To do this, use a sieve with small cells so that grains do not fall through them. Pour the long-grain rice into the inner bowl of the rice cooker and add water. Then throw in the bay leaf and mix everything thoroughly. This prevents burning.
Once the rice cooker has done its job, you need to remove the bay leaves. Mix everything. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
How to cook cilantro rice in the Instant Pot
Cover with a lid and set the cooking mode. Check first that the valve is tight and not set to vent. Otherwise, the device does not have enough pressure. 10 minutes after the end of the cooking process, the pressure mode must be changed.
To do this, the valve needs to be switched to the “Release” mode. Remove the bay leaf and mix everything with a fork. Pour in oil, spices, finely chopped cilantro, and citrus juice. Mix oil, spices, chopped cilantro, and citrus juice using a fork.
It is better to add lemon juice, lime juice, and lime zest gradually so that you can control the taste according to your preferences. You can start tasting the cooked rice right away.
Is it possible to refuse cilantro?
Some people don’t like the taste of cilantro. However, they cannot refuse exotic rice recipes. So, they are trying to see if this rice recipe can be made without using cilantro. You can leave the cilantro out of the ingredients list.
The dish is still delicious. Some restaurants also serve rice without cilantro if the patron asks for it.
Can brown rice be used?
It is better to stop using brown rice. After all, it requires more water to prepare it. You will also need to constantly monitor the cooking time of cilantro lime brown rice, as the time may vary depending on the variety used. It is recommended to stop on white long-grain rice. This recipe was created especially for it.
Best time to add salt and garlic powder
Many housewives cannot understand at what stage of cooking, salt and garlic powder need to be added. It is recommended to abandon the idea of adding salt to the rice cooker itself. Experienced chefs advise sprinkling salt on a ready-made dish, which is scattered on plates.
FAQ
When it comes to making white rice with cilantro and lime juice and lime zest, housewives face numerous questions.
Can you put flavored rice in a rice cooker?
Yes, if necessary, you can use spices and herbs. However, it is better to mix them with raw white rice, and then send them to the rice cooker.
What is the best way to flavor rice in a rice cooker?
You can add your favorite spice and herb blends. Add them in advance, before starting the rice cooker method. Don’t forget to mix with raw white rice beforehand. You can also add broth for flavor, which improves the taste of the dish. However, remember that the proportions of water and white rice change from this.
Results
As you can see, cilantro lime rice cooks quite quickly and easily if you use most rice cookers. You need the available components, and the process takes no more than half an hour.
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