Cumin Rice

I wanted to share this incredibly simple dish because it's so easy but so flavorful and can jazz up almost any dinner. I was inspired by my favorite frozen meal from Trader Joe's, which is their tikka masala (both the chicken version and the vegan version are amazing). It comes with a cumin rice, which is just a fluffy basmati speckled with cumin seeds. I thought it was just the simplest but most delicious side dish so I decided to make my own.

I think my version can suit both Tex-Mex style meals as well as Indian, it really just depends on the kind of rice you use. It's also just a generally good side dish to have with chicken or fish or roasted vegetables. It's so yellow and pretty and it takes maybe 15 minutes to throw together so it's great for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients [serves 4]:
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1¼ cups rice
1¼ cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Start by mincing some garlic. I don't like big chunks, but I don't mind some slightly larger pieces, so I just minced by hand. If you're not a fan of biting into garlic, use a garlic press.

Grab a pot and melt in some butter over medium heat and then add in the garlic, Cook until lightly toasted and fragrant.

Sprinkle in the cumin seeds and toast slightly, just until it begins to perfume your kitchen.

Pour in the rice and stir to coat the grains in the fat and to evenly distribute the garlic and cumin throughout.

Pour in the stock, crack in some salt and pepper, give it one final stir, and then pop the lid on. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked through and tender. Use a fork to fluff it up.

Serve hot with whatever you like. The rice is so great; it's flavorful so it's good on its own but it's not so strong that it doesn't play well with other dishes. In fact, it pairs really well with other well-spiced foods. I love cumin seeds; if you haven't tried them, you must. I made this rice to accompany a peri-peri roast chicken (which I'll be sharing soon), a bright and fresh tomato salad, and sauteed green beans and this was a really great meal.

Here's the recipe page: