I love rice of all types, but here are three techniques to give your plain white rice a MAJOR upgrade. Click here https://betterthanbouillon.com/brian and use code BRIAN at checkout for free shipping on 2 or more jars of Better than Bouillon.

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RICE PILAF
100g (1 small) onion, grated
20g (4-5 cloves) garlic, minced/pressed
75g/2.6oz angel hair pasta, snapped into 1”/2.5cm pieces
175g (1c) jasmine rice, rinsed and drained until water runs clear
75g/6T butter
12g (2.5t) coarse salt
20g (1T) better than bouillon (chicken)
650g (2 2/3c) chicken stock
Lemon
Parsley, chopped

Heat a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium and add butter. When melted, add broken pasta. Fry in the butter for 2-3 minutes until the pasta is toasted to a light golden color. Add in the rinsed rice and continue to toast until the rice is becoming translucent, making sure to not burn the pasta.

Add grated onions, minced garlic, and salt and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes over medium. Add better than bouillon and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let the pot continue to sit, covered, for 10 more minutes.

Finish by folding in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley.

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SOFRITO RICE
250g (1 large) onion, rough chopped
75g (1) poblano, chopped
20g (4-5 cloves) garlic
20g (½ a bunch) cilantro
5g (2t) ground cumin
400g (2 1/4c) medium grain rice
50g (1/4c) olive oil
12g (2.5t) salt
30g (2T) tomato paste
550g (2 1/4c) chicken stock
225g (1 small can) tomato sauce
Lime juice
10g (1/4c) cilantro, chopped

To make the sofrito, add onion, poblano, garlic, cilantro, and cumin to a food processor and spin for 20-30 seconds until veggies are chopped into a small, but coarse texture.

Rinse the rice well until water runs clear. Heat a heavy bottomed pot/dutch oven over medium and add in olive oil and rice, frying rice in the oil to toast until the outside is slightly translucent. Add in the sofrito mixture and salt. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes until onion and pepper has softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2-3 mins until the mixture is rust colored. Stir in chicken stock and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and load into a 350F oven to bake for 20 min. After that, pull out of the oven and let it sit at room temp, lid on for an additional 15 minutes.

Finish by folding in ½ lime juice and cilantro.

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TAHDIG
400g (2 1/4c) long grain basmati rice
1L/1000g water
10g (2t) coarse salt
1g (1t) saffron
Olive oil
75g (5T) butter

Rinse rice until water runs clear then cover it with about 1L/1000g water. To that add 10g salt stir and allow to brine for 1 hour. Drain off salty water.

Heat a heavy bottomed pot of water until it comes to a boil.

Crush saffron into a powder with a mortar and pestle. Add in about 1/2c or 100g of the boiling water into the mortar with the saffron powder to bloom it for about 3 minutes.

Salt water generously then add in brined rice and boil for 3 minutes. Drain off the water and transfer rice to a bowl. Fold in saffron water.

Heat a nonstick pan (with a lid) over medium heat. Add a generous amount of olive oil, about 1-2T, and 75g of butter. Once melted, add in all of the saffron rice, pressing down and spreading into an even layer. Dock the rice with the end of a wooden spoon about 10 times.

Wrap the lid of the pan with a kitchen towel then place towel-wrapped lid on the pan. Lower the heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan regularly for even browning. When done, the rice should smell toasty and you should see some light browning around the edges.

Flip onto a plate so that the brown bottom becomes the top.