A staple in many cultures, white rice is an ideal blank canvas for embellishment. It can be tinted green with spinach, peppers, or herbs or red with tomatoes and chilies, but yellow rice is more popular yet. Several ingredients can impart the yellow hue — brick-colored annatto seeds, saffron, or turmeric (which gives curry powder its tint). In many Latin American countries, yellow rice is commonly flavored with sofrito, a mixture of onions, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Flavorings in India would likely include aromatic spices, and in Southeast Asia, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, and coconut are often the flavorings of choice.
ANNATTO-INFUSED OIL
Makes about ½ cup
Don’t allow the annatto seeds to sizzle too briskly or darken toward black — the oil will taste bitter. You can reuse the seeds to make a second batch, if you wish.
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons annatto seeds
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and annatto seeds until the oil is tinted and seeds begin to sizzle gently, about 2½ minutes. Remove from heat to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes, and strain. (Oil can be refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for up to a month.)
TIP: Sometimes called achiote, annatto seeds (and occasionally powder) are available in stores that sell Latin American ingredients and often in supermarkets’ international aisles. The seeds are used to infuse oil (see the accompanying recipe), in which sofrito and the rice itself are sauteed. You can also buy seasoning packets that include annatto.
Photograph by Jim Scherer / Styling by Catrine Kelty
LATIN AMERICAN-STYLE ANNATTO-TINTED YELLOW RICE WITH THE WORKS
Serves 4
In this case, “the works” means using a sofrito for flavor and green peas and red pimentos for color. You can simplify this dish by omitting any of the elements except for the onion, or spruce it up by adding some chopped green olives and/or capers when you fluff the rice.
2 tablespoons annatto-infused oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped cubanelle or green pepper
1 bay leaf
Salt and ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
½ cup canned petite-diced tomatoes, well drained
1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed in several changes of water and well drained
1 2/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, heated
2/3 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup chopped drained pimentos (1 4-ounce jar)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions or chopped parsley or cilantro, for garnish
In a medium saucepan on medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, cubanelle or green pepper, bay leaf, and ¾ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 40 seconds longer. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are very soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes longer. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the pan to limit sticking, until well coated with oil and the vegetable mixture, about 1 minute. Add the broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to very low, cover, and simmer undisturbed for 15 minutes. Add the peas, replace the cover, and rest the rice off the heat, until the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf; taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary, and black pepper to taste. Add the pimentos and fluff the rice to incorporate them and the peas. Serve at once, garnishing with the scallions, parsley, or cilantro.
VARIATIONS
> Yellow Rice With Saffron
Serves 4
I usually use tomatoes in saffron rice, but it’s also good without them.
Follow the directions for the Annatto-Tinted Yellow Rice With the Works, making the following changes:
1) Substitute unsalted butter for the annatto-infused oil.
2) Omit the cubanelle or green pepper and garlic (and tomatoes, if you wish). Saute the onion and bay leaf until softened, about 4 minutes.
3) Add rice and cook as directed.
4) Increase broth to 1¾ cups. In a small bowl, mix 1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads with ¼ cup of heated broth and let stand for 30 seconds. Add mixture to pan and continue as directed.
5) Omit the peas and pimentos. Garnish with scallions or parsley.
> Yellow Rice With Turmeric, Lemon Grass, and Coconut Milk
Serves 4
This Indonesian-inspired recipe is great with jasmine rice. Bay leaves stand in for the traditional kaffir lime leaves.
Follow the directions for the Annatto-Tinted Yellow Rice With the Works, making the following changes:
1) Substitute neutral oil for the annatto-infused oil.
2) Replace the onion, cubanelle pepper, tomatoes, and garlic with ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric. Saute the turmeric along with the bay leaf for 30 seconds.
3) With the rice, add 2 trimmed stalks lemon grass (pale inner cores only) and a 1½-inch piece of peeled ginger, both smashed, and cook as directed.
4) Substitute 1 cup hot water and ¾ cup coconut milk for the broth and continue as directed.
5) Omit the peas and pimentos. Remove the lemon grass and ginger along with the bay leaf. Garnish with scallions or cilantro.
> Fragrant Spiced Yellow Rice with Turmeric
Serves 4
Whole spices are traditional in this Indian-inspired version, but they can be difficult to fish out before serving, so I go for the ease of ground spices. Jasmine rice is great here, and if you have ghee or clarified butter you can substitute it for the oil.
Follow the directions for the Annatto-Tinted Yellow Rice With the Works, making the following changes:
1) Substitute 1½ tablespoons neutral oil for the annatto-infused oil.
2) Replace the onion, cubanelle or green pepper, garlic, and tomatoes with 1 cinnamon stick, ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and 1/8 teaspoon each ground cardamom and ground cloves. Saute the spices along with the bay leaf for 30 seconds.
3) Add rice and cook as directed.
4) Substitute 1¾ cups hot water for the broth and continue as directed.
5) Omit the peas and pimentos. Remove the cinnamon stick along with the bay leaf.
6) Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the cooked rice, and fluff with a fork.
7) Garnish with scallions or parsley.
Adam Ried appears regularly on America’s Test Kitchen. Send comments to cooking@globe.com.
