Here is my take on the ever-popular Mexican style cilantro lime rice. In Persian cuisine, different variations of herbal pilaf dishes are commonly prepared. Examples of such dishes may include but not limited to Sabzi-polo (assorted herb pilaf), Shivid-polo (dill pilaf), and Baghali-polo (dill and fava bean pilaf). Armed with such hereditary skill, inspired by the Persian examples of herbal pilaf dishes, I hereby present my Persian influenced cilantro lime rice. Note that there is a similar dish in the Persian cuisine called "Geshniz-Polow," with Geshniz literally meaning "cilantro." The Persian version, however, does not involve limes. I found that the deepest citrus flavor is accomplished by means of using fresh limes as well as preserved lemons.
Ingredients:
2 cups Jasmine rice
2 cups water
3.52 Oz (~100 gr) Cilantro lemon puree (recipe follows)
2 TBSP Canola oil
2 TSP salt
1/2 of a Persian lime
Cilantro lemon puree:
3.52 Oz (~100 gr ) cilantro (leaves and tender stems. You may only use the leaves to attain a more vivid green color; stems are however more flavorful)
4 small ice cubes
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 a whole preserved lemon
The key to achieving a vivid green herbal color is to blend cilantro with ice and oil and freeze the resulting puree. To boost the citrus flavor, preserved lemon should also be used. Note that preserved lemon is the best approach to achieve the desired deep citrus background flavor.
To a deep 1.5 to 2 Qt. saucepan, add the rice, water, oil, and salt. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes or until there is no water floating on the surface. Stir occasionally, but not liberally, as over-stirring breaks the rice grains (The Persian granny's rule!). Squeeze in the lime juice in, and plant the frozen cilantro cubes in a couple of different locations.
Decrease the heat to low, cover the pan, and let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Do not uncover while steaming; the generated steam is crucial to achieving the expected results.
When the rice is steamed, fluff up the rice and mix the colors and serve. Note that the center of cilantro cubes will keep their green color, allowing the dish to showcase a spectrum of green colors.
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The herb cube recipe above yields twice as much cilantro-lemon puree as the rice recipe calls for. I marinated some chicken with the rest by adding some lime juice, roasted garlic, and Poblano to that base. A Mexican style chicken kebab was hence born. Avocado Hollandaise shown above was made, thanks to a recipe from here.
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