southern style rice

How to make southern style rice recipe

Serves 4

Total cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, cored, deseeded and chopped
1 courgette, chopped
1 teaspoon each dried thyme, dried oregano, hot smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
250 g (8 oz) long-grain rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 x 400 g (13 oz) cans chopped tomatoes
450 ml (¾ pint) vegetable stock
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, to garnish
few dashes Tabasco sauce, to serve (optional)

Method:
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and red and yellow peppers and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the
courgette and cook for a further 3–4 minutes.

Add the herbs, spices and rice and stir-fry for 1 minute, coating the rice well in the other ingredients. Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock and season.

Bring to the boil and cover with a tight fitting lid, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently for 15–18 minutes until the rice is cooked and the mixture thickened.

Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and a few dashes of Tabasco sauce, if liked.

For Southern-style mixed vegetable & bean stir-fry, chop 1 large onion, 1 celery stick and 1 courgette. Core, deseed and chop 1 red and 1 yellow pepper and finely chop 2 garlic cloves. Roughly chop 2 tablespoons pickled red jalapeño peppers and set aside.

Heat 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat, then add the raw vegetables and stir-fry for 10 minutes until tender. Add 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme, dried oregano and hot smoked paprika and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper and stir-fry for a further minute.

Stir in 250 g (8 oz) ready-cooked plain, mushroom or chilli and bean rice, then add a 400 g (13 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained.

Continue to stir-fry until hot, then serve immediately in bowls, each topped with a dollop of soured cream and a scattering of chopped pickled red jalapeño peppers. Total cooking time 20 minutes.

southern style rice