Portions: 6 servings Calories: 417kcal |
If you are looking to try something new, learn how to cook brown rice, and enjoy your rice while keeping your carbs intake lower, you'll love this brown rice pilaf that takes inspiration from the Spanish Caribbean preferred way of eating rice.
By - Revised . Original Apr 26, 2013.
How to Cook Brown Rice Pilaf.
Why we ❤️ it
- I love brown rice, and not just because it's healthier and richer in fiber and vitamins, has a lower glycemic index, is gluten-free, and is also vegan.
- Brown rice has a richer and more nuanced flavor than White rice.
- Those who don't like the texture and taste of brown rice will be convinced to enjoy this tasty brown rice pilaf.
How to Cook Brown Rice Pilaf
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Utensils and tools
- 2-quart dutch oven with lid [2-liter capacity]
Ingredients
- 3 cup brown rice
- 5½ cup vegetable broth, boiling-hot
- 3½ teaspoon salt, (may not be necessary)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, or cilantro
Preparation
1. Soak the rice
- Soak the rice in 3 cups of water and let it rest for 2 hours.Remove the unabsorbed water from the rice, add the liquid to the broth, and set the rice aside for a moment.
2. Season broth (may not be necessary)
- Taste the broth and season with salt to taste. If you are using, unsalted broth, add all the salt.Keep the broth heated to a very gentle boil (steaming but no bubbles rising).
3. Sauté rice
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in the dutch oven.Add the rice and cook and stir for a minute until the grains are coated in oil.
4. Cook the rice
- Add 5 cups of broth. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Stir rice
- Uncover and stir, moving the rice from the bottom to the top. Cover again and simmer for another 15 minutes.Uncover and taste it. The rice should be tender but firm, with grains that separate from each other.⚠️ If the grains are still uncooked in the center, add the rest of the hot broth, cover again, and simmer for 5-10 more minutes.
6. Serve
- Mix in the parsley or cilantro. Pour the rice into a bowl or serving dish and fluff it with a fork.⚠️ Some of the rice may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is not a mistake. Scrape it out of the pot and serve it in a separate bowl to share.
Top tips
- If you are not vegan: This is a great vegan dish, but if you do not follow a meat-free diet, you can use chicken broth and butter instead of olive oil.
- Rice: You can use long-grain or brown basmati rice. I used long-grain rice.
- Broth: You can use our homemade vegetable broth recipe to make this rice.
- Proportions: The ratio of rice to water if you soak the rice beforehand (as indicated in the recipe) is 1:1. This can be a lot, and sometimes you may need to add a little more liquid (as suggested in the recipe).
- Leftovers: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat by adding a couple of tablespoons of water before heating covered in the microwave.
- Crispy rice: For Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, the crispy rice that sticks to the bottom is the best part of the rice, and we call it pegao or con-con. It's delicious.
Serving suggestions
For a vegan meal, some salad or steamed veggies. Some great vegan main dishes to go with brown rice pilaf are this chickpea dish with Moroccan spices, and this spiced lentil dinner. You can also serve with this vegan sofritas recipe.
If you prefer non-vegan dishes, it goes great with anything from a simple fried egg to this quick and easy spicy beans with pork sausage, this creamy stuffed chicken breast, Chicken in tomato sauce, or this Beef picadillo, or the healthy Turkey picadillo.
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In my quest for the perfect brown rice dish, I have tried many methods. This one is by far the one that gives me the best and most consistent results. And what's even better, it's full of flavor because I don't use water to cook it, but vegetable broth.
Even my kid enjoyed it, and - like eggplants - brown rice is a taste only adults seem to like.
The end result is a dish that can be enjoyed on its own and is very nutritious.
The carb content in brown rice will depend on the variety of brown rice you use. Some contain more carbs than others. Long-grain brown rice contains approximately 5 grams of carbs, of which 3.5 grams is indigestible dietary fiber.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Its funny how You mentioned you have yet to meet a child who doesnt like pasta and enjoys eggplant. Well my 3 year old hates pasta and loves eggplant but dominican style of course. He also doesnt like soda and doesnt get very excited about candy. When im chopping onions… Read more »
Your rice looks lovely and fluffy and all separated out. I agree that our tastes grow and change as we get older. There are several things I eat now that I didn't when younger.