Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice
The bright green rice under a burrito is usually white rice tossed with oil, salt, and lime. Two of those three go without argument here: whole long-grain brown rice keeps its bran and its fiber, and the seasoning comes from acid and herb rather than salt. The one technique that matters is the lime itself, split into zest and juice. Grating the peel before you squeeze captures the fragrant oils in the skin, which the juice alone cannot deliver, and stirring both in off the heat keeps them sharp instead of cooking them dull. Cilantro stems carry more flavor than the leaves, so chop and use them too. It reheats well and holds a day or two, which is the whole point of a side you build a week of bowls around.
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain brown rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
- 2 cloves Garlic, lightly smashed
- 1 whole Bay leaves
- 1 Lime, zested, then juiced
- 1 tbsp Lime juice, fresh, to finish
- 1/2 cup Cilantro, finely chopped, stems included
Method
- Combine the rinsed rice, smashed garlic, bay leaf, and 2 cups (480 ml) water in a saucepan. Rinsing the rice first washes off loose surface starch, which is what makes brown rice gummy, so the finished grains stay separate.
- Bring to a boil, then drop to the lowest simmer, cover, and cook 40 minutes without lifting the lid. Brown rice keeps its bran, so it needs the full time and the trapped steam to turn tender.
- Off the heat, leave it covered another 10 minutes to finish steaming, then fish out the bay leaf and garlic and fluff with a fork. The rest lets the last of the water absorb so the pot does not weep when you open it.
- Fold in the lime zest, the juice of the whole lime, the extra tablespoon of lime juice, and the cilantro. Adding the zest along with the juice doubles the lime: the juice brings sour, the zest brings the aromatic oils that read as fresh, and together they stand in for the salt the taqueria version leans on.
- Taste and add a little more lime if it needs lift. Serve warm as a bed for beans or fajita vegetables, or cool it for meal-prep bowls.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 180 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber, 5 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
