Cheesy Tomatillo Rice - Quick and Easy to Make
Place the fluffed leftover rice in a wide, shallow bowl. Spread the tomatillo Salsa Verde, corn, shredded cheddar, cilantro and spinach over the rice. Mix gently to evenly distribute everything - do not let the rice grains break. Set aside, covered. Just before serving, heat in the microwave until the cheese melts and the rice is steaming hot. Serve immediately, with a lime/lemon wedge. Enjoy!
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 209kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 191mgPotassium: 306mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1807IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 2mg
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