Cheesy Tomatillo Rice… Quick and easy to make from leftover cooked rice…
Bursting with the bold flavors and colors from tangy and spicy Tomatillo Salsa Verde, sharp Cheddar cheese, yellow corn and fresh green cilantro and spinach…. Hmmm…. Are you drooling yet?
Leftover Rice – Lots of Tasty Makeovers
Leftover rice…. Again….?! Yeah! So, what to do with it? Let’s see… What kind of cuisine do you have a craving for? Chinese Fried Rice, Thai Red Curry fried rice, South Indian Lemon Rice, Mexican rice, Maharashtrian Phodnichaa Bhaath, North Indian Biryani/Pulao… Take your pick… They’re all delicious!
Recently though, as I contemplated what to do with the leftover savory rice I had cooked with cumin seeds and bay leaves (Jeera Rice), I just didn’t feel like making any of these. Then I remembered that I also had a little Salsa Verde in the refrigerator. Instantly, my head went into a whirl, conjuring up images of what I might do with it ….
Out came my leftover rice…. and my bowl of the tangy and spicy, pale green tomatillo salsa. Tired after a long day, I just wanted to whip up something quickly. Nothing that needed tedious washing, cutting, chopping …… so, no onions, no garlic, no vegetables… But hey, frozen corn would be good, and as for protein… Oh, that’s easy, I thought, I’ll just add some sharp Cheddar cheese to the rice! And sure… I could probably chop a little bit of cilantro and spinach, for color and flavor.
Just thinking about it, I knew I had a winner! I went with my instincts, and a mere 20 min later, sat down to devour this “new” dish I had just created! I’ve made it several times since then, with just a few small changes. Whenever I served it to friends, they all loved it and wanted the recipe! So, here I am, writing it all up for anyone who wants to try it.
Rice and Salsa, with cheese, corn, cilantro… and maybe a little spinach
This delectable Cheesy Tomatillo Rice is so ridiculously easy to put together… Just spread out the cooked rice in a large shallow bowl and drizzle the Salsa all over. Top with thawed frozen corn, shredded Cheddar, and chopped cilantro. Also add in some chopped baby spinach if you like. Mix gently, to prevent breaking/smashing the rice grains, and transfer to a glass/ceramic microwave-safe bowl. Cover and set it aside until you’re ready to serve it.
Just before serving, dot the surface with a little butter, preferably softened and at room temperature. Cover and heat in the microwave until it is steaming hot and the cheese is starting to melt. Garnish with more cilantro and serve immediately, with lime/lemon wedges on the side! And yes, of course, do put out some seasoned beans, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, pickled jalapenos ….
And get ready to attack your fine spread… the look, the aroma….. so very appealing to all of your senses!
Tomatillos – the green tomatoes “look-alike”, with a taste all its own!
Tomatillos (Physalis philadelphica; Mexican husk tomatoes)….. the first time I saw them in a grocery store in the US, I was immediately intrigued. The papery husks reminded me of one of my favorite fruits: golden, sweet-tart gooseberries (also called Cape Gooseberries or Golden Berries). As I peered closer, and peeled back a little bit of one of the husks, I saw the smooth pale green skin of the tomatillo – similar to a green, unripe tomato. Of course, I bought a few – how could I resist?
As soon as I got home, I peeled away the husks… felt something sticky on my fingers and began to wash it off under the tap. Hmmm…. Whatever it was, it was stubborn, and lingered on my fingers, with a strange, almost soapy feel.
Even though I was a little put off by the sticky stuff, I cut one up to see how it looked inside. Immediately, I noticed that while the texture of the flesh was somewhat similar to a green tomato, the seeds were distinctly different. In fact, they again made me think of the golden gooseberries – the tomatillo seeds were almost identical in appearance and texture. As I found out soon afterwards, this was not really a coincidence: tomatillos are, indeed, a close relative of the Cape gooseberries!
Unlike gooseberries, though, tomatillos don’t really change color dramatically or become much sweeter as they ripen. While ripe gooseberries are a brilliant golden yellow and sweet-tart, ripe tomatillos still look green and taste quite tart, although they are a bit paler and sweeter than when unripe.
Can you use green tomatoes instead of tomatillos?
Yes… even though the taste of tomatillos is certainly different from green tomatoes, you can use green tomatoes in many tomatillo-based recipes. So, in case you cannot find tomatillos where you live, go ahead and use green tomatoes instead. After all, they are closely related botanically, both belonging to the nightshade family of vegetables, and do have overlapping flavor and nutrition profiles. You may have to add a little squirt of lime/lemon juice to match the tartness of tomatillos in the dish you make.
It’s rather interesting that although both originated in Mexico and Central America, tomatoes are widely available across the globe, while tomatillos are still often hard to find in some parts of the world. In fact, I’d never even heard of tomatillos while growing up in India!
Ironically, I actually have a hard time finding green tomatoes in grocery stores in the US! So I started using tomatillos instead of green tomatoes to make a simple curried dish my Mom made with green tomatoes and potatoes. Of course, if you happen to grow your own tomatoes… or tomatillos… I guess you can pick them fresh, right from your garden patch.
In the recipe I’ve shared here, if you use salsa made with green tomatoes, your rice dish will “look” just as pretty, and it will taste just as delectable.
Why do tomatillos feel sticky when de-husked?
The chemist in me wanted to know what exactly in the tomatillo skin made it weirdly sticky-soapy. When I asked around, folks just shrugged. They did assure me that the stickiness was fine, and that I shouldn’t worry about trying to get the sticky film off the tomatillos – a quick rinse was quite enough. But of course, that didn’t really answer my question, so I kept digging for more information. I soon found out what it was: Withanolides, which are secondary metabolites with a steroid backbone.
Turns out, these substances are believed to act as insect-deterrents – so that the plant can protect itself from getting “eaten” by insects! Interestingly, the withanolides from tomatillos also exhibit a range of properties that support human health – they have significant antioxidant, antitumor, anti-neurodegeneration, and apoptotic activity.
So, I can see now why folks told me to not be too concerned if I’m unable to fully rinse off the sticky film before using tomatillos!
Tomatillo Salsa: the Classic Salsa Verde
Mexican Salsa Verde, which literally means Green Sauce, uses the pale green-colored tomatillos as the chief ingredient. I love dipping tortilla chips in this delightfully tangy and spicy salsa, so I make it quite often. I also like to spread it on tortillas when making quesadillas, and to drizzle it over enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc. Nowadays, I have a new use for it…. I also use it for making the Cheesy Tomatillo Rice recipe I’ve shared here.
Sometimes, but not always, I roast the tomatillos before blending the ingredients…. either way, the salsa tastes amazing! Perhaps you’d like to make it from the easy Salsa Verde recipe I’ve posted on this blog:
- Roasted Tomatillo Salsa – with only 5 ingredients!
More recipes for transforming leftover rice
If you frequently have leftover rice like I do, maybe you could try one or more of these other “make-over” ideas to transform your leftovers. They’re easy to make and sure to please! Also be on the look-out for more such recipes…
- Quick Tomato Pulao – Indian style
- Colorful Fiesta Rice – Mexican style
Special Diets
This cheesy and satisfying tomatillo rice is vegetarian, gluten-free and soy-free. To make it vegan, swap out the dairy ingredients (cheese and butter) with your preferred non-dairy substitutes. To make it nut-free, use a nut-free oil instead of the peanut oil I use for making the cumin-flavored rice.
So, the next time you have leftover rice, perhaps you might try this quick-and-easy “make-over”, to make a dish that is as visually appealing as it is tasty. Cheesy, tangy and spicy, one little taste of this tomatillo rice will make you go “Yumm!”
Best of all, you can serve this rice as part of any kind of meal, any cuisine… Who says you shouldn’t mix and match different cuisines at the same meal? I do it all the time!
Do leave a review and star rating… much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Cheesy Tomatillo Rice – Quick and Easy to Make
Equipment
- Microwave oven preferred If not available, see Recipe Notes for stove-top directions
- Glass/Ceramic microwave safe bowl if using microwave
Ingredients
- 3 cups Cooked rice – fluffed and loosely packed leftover, well-cooled rice works best – it's firm and easy to fluff; without smashing the cooked rice grains; also OK to use freshly cooked rice – see Recipe Notes for details
- 1/2 cup Tomatillo Salsa Verde Home-made or store-bought: see Recipe Notes for easy home-made Salsa
- 1/2 cup Yellow Corn kernels – frozen (thawed) or canned (drained) if using fresh corn kernels, blanch briefly before using – see Recipe Notes for details
- 1/4 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese – shredded if not available, OK to use shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican Cheese blend; to make it vegan, use your preferred vegan cheese instead; Note: if you use Mozzarella, Parmesan, Asiago, etc, in this recipe, it will change the texture and/or flavor quite a bit.
- 1/2 cup Fresh Baby Spinach – chopped – packed tightly after chopping use about one large fistful of leaves – about 2 cups before chopping – approximately 60 g
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder omit if you're using rice cooked with cumin seeds (e.g., Jeera Rice or a simple Pulao)
- 1/8 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference; you may also need a bit more if the cooked rice has no salt
- 2 tsp Butter salted/unsalted OK; for making vegan, substitute with your preferred vegan butter, or 1 tsp mild-flavored oil of your choice. Use a bit more (up to 2-3 tsp) if your vegan cheese is fat-free.
Garnish
- 1/4 cup Cilantro – chopped (optional) fresh coriander leaves (Kothimbir, Kothimir, Haraa Dhaniya, Dhaniya Patta); rinse thoroughly to remove sand and grit
- 1 whole Lime or lemon: cut into wedges
Instructions
- Transfer the cooked rice to a wide, shallow bowl. Dip your fingers in a bowl of water and fluff the rice gently with your wet fingers to separate the grains. Take care to not mash the rice while doing this. Note:If a few grains remain stuck together, let it be. You can separate them later after adding the remaining ingredients.
- Unless you're using pre-washed and dried spinach, you must carefully wash the spinach to remove sand and grit stuck to the leaves and stems.To do this, I highly recommend the following process: Add water to a large pot until it is about 3/4 full. Add the spinach into the water and swish the leaves thoroughly: any sand stuck to the spinach begins to sink to the bottom, while the leaves float near the top of the water.Put your hands deep inside the pot and lightly run your fingers over the bottom – you can tell right away if there is any collected sandy grit there. If so, you will need to repeat this process until you feel no sand at the bottom of the pot – maybe as many as 3-5 times!Scoop the floating leaves with your hands and transfer them to a colander and rinse under running water. Drain the pot of dirty water and repeat as needed until the spinach is completely grit-free.Spread the spinach on a kitchen towel to dry a little before chopping.
- Pick up a bunch of leaves and cut into ribbons, about 1/4 inch (2-3 mm) wide. Turn the cutting board 90 degrees and cut the ribbons crosswise (1/4 inch / 2-3 mm) to chop.
- Mix 1/8 tsp salt with the Salsa Verde; if you're using plain cooked rice, rather than rice cooked with cumin seeds (Jeera Rice), also mix 1/2 tsp cumin powder into the Salsa. Add the salsa, chopped spinach, shredded Cheddar cheese corn kernels and half of the chopped cilantro on top of the rice.
- Mix gently to distribute evenly. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, dot the surface with softened butter, cover and microwave till heated through: about 5-7 min on 50% power. The cheese should be melting, and the rice should be steaming hot.Note: If using oil instead of butter, use a small spoon to drizzle drops of oil all over the top of the rice. Garnish the steaming hot rice with the remaining cilantro and serve immediately, along with lime/lemon wedges. Also put out some seasoned beans, chips, salsa, etc.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Fresh-cooked Cumin Rice
If you do not have leftover rice, cook the rice according to the following directions, then set aside to cool for at least an hour (longer is better) before using as directed in the recipe.- 2/3 cup raw rice:
- I like to use aged Basmati rice, but any good quality medium-long grain rice is OK
- Rinse the rice 3-4 times with fresh water each time, scrubbing gently to remove excess starch
- the water looks cloudy during the first rinse, but then starts to look pretty clear afterwards; use a fine-mesh strainer to drain the water while rinsing
- 1 1/2 cups water (may need up to 1/2 cup more – add as needed)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp oil (I prefer peanut oil, but another mild-flavored oil is OK too; however, I do NOT recommend using extra-virgin olive oil for cooking food that require long cooking times)
- 1-2 Bay leaves (optional)
- Add the measured water (1 1/2 cups)to a heavy bottom saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add the rice and bring back to a boil, stirring a bit to prevent sticking on the bottom, then lower the heat.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix. Cover and cook on low-medium heat
- Stir every 5 min or so to prevent sticking on the bottom.
- after about 15 min, remove the cover and stir gently to check for sticking/burning on the bottom
- Add about 1/4 cup boiling hot water and stir gently – do not let the rice grains get smashed.
- Cover, decrease the heat to the lowest setting and cook for another 10-12 min, undisturbed.
- Turn the heat off and remove the pot (still covered) from the hot stove grid. Keep covered for at least 20 min before removing the cover.
- Remove the cover and test a grain near the top for “done-ness” –
- Bite into it: it should be fully cooked, all the way to the core
- there should be NO “hardness” at the center of the grain
- Bite into it: it should be fully cooked, all the way to the core
- With a flat spatula, carefully loosen the rice from the edges and invert over a large tray or cookie sheet.
- Wait a few min to let the steam escape, then gently spread out the rice with a fork, taking care to not smash the rice grains.
- Let the rice cool completely for at least 30 min or so before using for making Cheesy Tomatillo Rice
- Add the measured water (1 1/2 cups) to a microwave-safe glass/ceramic bowl (1.5- 2 quart /liter size). Microwave on Hi for 2-3 min till water is almost boiling.
- Add the rice; stir and microwave on Hi for 2-3 min.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and microwave on Hi for 7-8 min.
- Stir and cover with a microwave-safe lid – microwave on defrost setting (30-40% power) for 13-15 min.
- Remove from microwave, still covered, and set aside undisturbed, for at least 15 min.
- Remove the cover and test a grain near the top for “done-ness” –
- Bite into it: it should be fully cooked, all the way to the core
- there should be NO “hardness” at the center of the grain
- Bite into it: it should be fully cooked, all the way to the core
- With a flat spatula, carefully loosen the rice from the edges of the bowl and invert over a large tray or cookie sheet.
- Wait a few min to let the steam escape, then gently spread out the rice with a fork, taking care to not smash the rice grains.
- Let the rice cool completely for at least 30 min or so before using for making Cheesy Tomatillo Rice
Easy Home-made Salsa Verde:
If you have a little time, make Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. Its complex, roasted flavor is definitely worth the extra time you spend on it. You can make it ahead and even freeze it, so you have some on hand when the craving hits! If you don’t have the time to roast the tomatillos and jalapenos, though, you can quickly make a batch of Salsa Verde with the following ingredients:- 4-5 small medium tomatillos – about 1/2 lb (250g) – de-husked, washed and chopped
- use green tomatoes if you can’t find tomatillos
- 1 small Jalapeno pepper – chopped
- or 1/2 Serrano pepper, or other spicy chilli pepper
- adjust according to your preferred level of spiciness
- or 1/2 Serrano pepper, or other spicy chilli pepper
- 1/2 cup white/yellow onions – chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp fresh lime/lemon juice
Onion-Free Salsa Verde:
If you want to make the Salsa Verde without onions, simply swap out the onions in the recipe/directions given above with peeled and chopped Zucchini – you will need about 1/2 small-medium Zucchini.Storing Leftovers:
Refrigerate leftovers and use within 1-2 days.- Reheat in microwave fully till heated through.
- Thaw in microwave on defrost setting (30% power) – stir gently to check if ice-crystals have melted
- Continue to heat on full power until fully till heated through.
Will definitely try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you like it… its a nice change from the usual leftover rice makeovers. Hope you post a star rating too! Thanks
We were fortunate to taste this rice made by Sushma!! I can vouch for its simplicity and it was delicious!! Hence the 5-star rating!! Can’t wait to try it out in my kitchen!!
Thanks, Bina! I bet it will turn out just as good in your kitchen!
I made this for me and my husband. He finished off the whole thing in one night! It was such a delicious and easy recipe. I’m definitely going to make this many more times!
So glad you both enjoyed it, Sydnie! It is one of my favorite no-fuss leftover rice makeover dishes.
So tasty I forgot to take pictures after trying it. Quick and easy meal to make when craving cheesy rice
So glad you enjoyed it, Jayendra! Cheesy, easy and gets you to eat some veggies too! I’ve done that myself – found something tasty, started eating it, then realized I forgot to take pics!
I made this after work for my husband and i and it was great! Usually we both dread having to eat the leftover rice but the spinach and salsa made it taste great. I ended up adding some extra broccoli we had leftover and it was still really good!
Thanks, Sierra for your lovely review and star rating! I love your broccoli idea too… I’m going to try that next time. 🙂