Everything Goes in Rice Pilaf
Kao Op
Today, I looked for some leftovers in the fridge, but there weren’t any ready to heat up. Instead I found odds and ends of leftover ingredients.
I had stewed tomatoes, sliced Jimmy Nardello Peppers (Sweet Italian Frying Peppers from Tahoma Farm), a halved onion and chorizo. In my cabinet I had Bomba rice (a Spanish rice used in paella) from The Spanish Table and Harissa spice mix, a hot chili spice blend from Northern Africa that I had purchased from World Spice Merchants. Right on the spot, I decided to cook rice pilaf. I didn’t want to open any cookbooks or Google for ideas, and because it was a busy day I could just put it in the oven and go back to work in my home office. I just wanted to have fun and rice pilaf is a very easy recipe for anyone to come up with unique flavors. The ingredients I had were mainly Spanish so I went with that as my theme.
To cook any rice pilaf, the important part to remember is the liquid to rice ratio. For example, for basmati and jasmine rice you will need 1½ cups of liquid to a cup of rice, but for Bomba rice the ratio is 1½ to 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice.
Spanish Rice Pilaf with Chorizo and Italian Frying Peppers
Kao Op Spain
Yield: 7 cups
Servings: 6
3 tablespoons canola oil ½ cup diced onion, about ½ onion 2 cups Bomba, calrose, or basmati rice 1 ½ teaspoons salt 6 links chorizo sausage, sliced 1 cup diced sweet peppers, about 4 sweet pepper 1 cup stewed tomato chunks or stewed tomatoes from a can 2 tablespoons Harisssa spicy mix powder 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water (use 4 cups if you are using Bomba rice)Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot on medium heat, then stir in onion until it is fragrant and translucent. Add Bomba rice and salt and stir until it is well coated with oil. Stir in chorizo sausage, sweet peppers, tomatoes, Harissa mix and water; combine and bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring well. Cover the pot with the lid and place on the rack in the center of the oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes, then remove the pot from the oven and leave it on the cook top to sit for at least 15 minutes without opening the lid. Before serving, stir well to combine all ingredients together.
Pranee’s note: Bomba rice (Arroz de paella) is a product of Spain and costs about $6 a pound. Thai and basmati rice are usually less than a $1 a pound. Bomba rice is short grain rice that expands in width, while most rice varieties expand in length. It absorbs more liquid than other types of rice, but remains firm when cooked and has a great texture.
See also Pranee’s Thai Kao Mok Gai Recipe, a form of rice pilaf from Thailand.
This history of rice pilaf and definition from Wikipedia
“Depending on the local cuisine, it may also contain a variety of meat and vegetables. . Pilaf and similar dishes are common to Middle Eastern, Central and South Asian, East African, Latin American, and Caribbean cuisines…….The English term pilaf is borrowed directly from Turkish, which in turn comes from (Classical) Persian پلو and Hindi pulav (पुलाव), and ultimately derives from Sanskrit pulaka (पुलाक)[2″© 2010 Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen
Pranee teaches Thai Cooking classes in the Seattle area. Her website is: I Love Thai cooking.com .
Pranee's Thai Kitchen 
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