Ground Beef and Rice
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt - I use table salt ⓘ
Blended Mixture
- 6 cloves garlic - peeled
- 1 inch piece of ginger - peeled, use a thick piece
- 1-2 small fresh chili peppers - I use Thai chilies, ribs and seeds removed if you prefer less heat (see Note A)
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 medium onion - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound (500 g) ground beef - aka beef mince
- 1 teaspoon salt - (Note B)
- 2 cups uncooked white rice - rinsed, soaked for 30 mins, then drained. I use Basmati
- 2.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro - plus some extra for garnishing
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients listed under "seasoning mix". Set it aside.
- In a blender or food processor, put all the ingredients listed under "blended mixture" along with ¼ cup water and process until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Heat cooking oil in a large pot or saucepan, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until it softens and turns translucent.
- Add the prepared "blended mixture". Stir and cook for 1 minute. Then add all of the prepared "seasoning mix" along with the tomato paste. Stir and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the beef is nicely browned and the oil begins to separate from the mixture. Stir frequently.
- Add 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add rice, lemon juice and cilantro. Stir gently, partially cover the pot with lid, and let the liquid reduce over medium-high heat (or medium if your burner is strong). Don't stir yet, just keep an eye.
- At first, the bubbles on the surface will be big and vigorous. As the liquid cooks down further, you'll start to see small bubbles and steam holes across the surface. That’s your cue to give a brief, gentle stir. Some liquid (around 10 to 20 percent) will still be left, which is intended.
- Cover completely with lid right away, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Let it steam 10 minutes. DO NOT remove the lid. No peeking, no stirring.
- Turn off the heat. DO NOT remove the lid yet and leave the pot on the same burner. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes so it finishes cooking in residual heat.
- Once the resting time is up, remove the lid, plate the rice using a flat, wide utensil like a rice paddle. Finish with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. I recently served this dish with pickled onions and fresh cucumber, as you can see in the photo. For more ways to enjoy this dish, see the "Serving Ideas" section earlier in the post.
Notes
Note A: Chillies – I've listed 1 to 2 chilies to keep the spice level approachable for most. Personally, I use 3 to 4 Thai chilies, with the ribs and seeds left in. You can also use crushed red pepper flakes instead. Just add them to the seasoning mix.
Note B: Salt – You'll notice salt is listed twice. That's intentional. I used to add all the salt to the seasoning mix, but found that the beef ended up a little too salty while the rice tasted slightly underseasoned. So I started seasoning in two stages instead.