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ground beef and rice skillet topped with parsley and lime slices
5 from 6 votes

Ground Beef and Rice Skillet

Blog: www.nextinlime.com

Author: Nelo
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 5 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger - grated or minced
  • 1 medium onion - finely chopped
  • 1 pound (500 g) ground beef - aka beef mince
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons regular white salt - aka table salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin - aka cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander - aka coriander powder
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 2 medium bell peppers - aka capsicum. Diced. Any color
  • 1 small fresh green chili pepper - finely chopped, I prefer Thai chilies (Note A)
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 cups (400 g) long grain white rice - uncooked, I prefer basmati
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley - or cilantro
  • slices of fresh lime

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice under cold running water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Soak in room-temperature water for 30 minutes, then drain well and set aside. You can skip the soaking step, but the rice won’t cook up as long and fluffy.
  • Meanwhile, heat cooking oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add minced garlic, grated ginger, chopped onion. Saute 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Stir constantly.
  • Then add ground beef, tomato paste, salt, pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon. Mix well and cook 12 minutes. Break up any lumps with your spoon/spatula. Stir frequently.
  • Mix in diced bell peppers and chopped green chili. Cook 2 more minutes.
  • Add 2.5 cups of water, bay leaf, vinegar and cover the skillet with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Once boiling, add the rice and stir gently to combine. Let liquid reduce over medium-high heat (or medium if your burner tends to run hot). 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.
  • After the resting time, garnish with chopped parsley and lime slices (don't forget to squeeze some juice on top) and serve.

Notes

Note A: Chilies – for a milder kick, remove ribs and seeds.