Summer is here and nothing's quite as complementary to this season as fresh, light, and citrus forward foods. While rice itself might not conjure up images of Summer, it’s all about what you pair it with.
Some of you might recognize this as the side dish from the Easy Chorizo and Sweet Potato Chili I made months ago. If you're looking for a companion to this rice dish, I obviously recommend my chili recipe.
Cilantro lime rice is one of my favorite side dishes because it uses five ingredients (I'm not counting the water and salt so don't @ me), I can whip it up in a flash and it goes with so many different foods! I can’t believe how much time I was wasting making this on the stove. I work three jobs right now (lol at post grad life) and anything that saves me just a little extra time is so precious these days. If you’re thinking of investing in an Instant Pot and are looking for a sign, this is it. (More on my preference for cooking rice in an Instant Pot will be in the notes section of this blog.)
Chloe loves a good side dish. As any good chef knows, side dishes say just as much about the Chef as the main dish does, so don’t skimp! Chloe is a fan of cilantro (apparently not everyone is?) and loves this dish for it. She likes that it was made healthier with the brown rice too, so it's a win win. 8/10!
Notes
Instant Pot vs. Rice Cooker
I have tried both methods and I prefer the Instant Pot. I have nothing against rice cookers, but I have yet to find one that makes a consistent product. The instant pot method is foolproof! At least it is for me. I might just struggle with rice cookers and that’s totally fine, you just have to find what works best for you. It also doesn’t hurt team Instant Pot that it cooks brown rice much faster than the rice cooker does.
To recap, the Instant Pot makes consistent, perfectly cooked rice and is faster than traditional rice cookers. Need I say more?
Wine Pairing Suggestions
For this cilantro lime rice I suggest a light Chardonnay. Preferably one that was on stainless steel so the fruit and citrus characteristics in the wine are the highlight. If you’re thinking of red wine, Malbec would be delightful!
Instant Pot Cilantro and Lime Brown Rice
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes (including heating and steam release time)
Ingredients
2 cups Jasmine brown rice
2 ½ cups water
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
Directions
Wash your rice thoroughly before cooking.
Put your washed rice into the instant pot along with the water, salt and olive oil.
Turn your instant pot on. Cook your rice on high pressure for 22 minutes. After the alarm goes off, allow the steam to release naturally for 10 minutes. Don’t touch the steam release valve in that time. After you’ve let the steam release naturally, you can manually release whatever pressure is left and take the lid off. Fluff the rice with a fork.
Add the cilantro, lime zest and lime juice to the fluffed rice. Give it a stir and it's ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Pin It!
Comments