Mexican Paella

Ah, a new post. I have learnt my lesson of the last few months: I need to post things quickly or they don't get done at all. Eventually I'll unearth all those scribbled recipes I've lost, and they'll get posted here. Hopefully there won't be downtime like that again, as I know where my camera and its cable is, and the infrastructure of the website is all sorted.

Oh, did I mention? I'm going to start putting pictures in.

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There are some types of cooking that seem to transcend cultural boundaries. There's the "using up the leftovers" dish, which has many names, from pies, to pease-pudding, gumbo and kitcheree. In most cultures with rice, there seems to be a one-pot fried dish where the grain takes centre stage. In China, it's fried rice. In Italy, risotto. In Spain (and according to my Mexican recipe book, also in Mexico), paella.

Here's a straightforward paella recipe I cooked up last night. It has the virtue of being a one-pot dish (something my girlfriend complains that I don't cook enough), is tasty, and looks fantastic.

Notes on the recipe:
This recipe makes enough for 3–4 people as a main with a side, or 2 hungry vegans like my partner and me. You might also notice that it uses fractions of vegetables – double to feed more and remove pesky leftovers (just use a small green capsicum). I personally use fractions because there's usually half an onion in the fridge, and because I REALLY like making my capsicums last. They are hands-down my favourite vegetable.




Mexican Paella
1 cup of brown rice (long or short, it doesn't matter; the rice doesn't have to be as sticky as, say, a risotto)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp tumeric
1–1 1/2 L stock
1/4 green capsicum, roughly 'squared'
1/2 red capsicum, roughly 'squared'
1 zucchini, chopped
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can chopped tomatoes, undrained (I used a can of whole roma tomatoes, and broke them up by hand as I added them)
1 tB cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 dash tabasco sauce
1 cup of baby kale, or other Dark Green Leafy (if leaves are large, chop roughly. Their job is to add colour and nutrients, not to turn this into a salad)

Pour the rice into a large frypan with the onion and a 1/4 cup of stock. Steam fry for a few minutes, then add garlic, tumeric and 1/2 cup of stock. Stir tumeric through thoroughly. The rice should be a lovely bright yellow. If it isn't yet, add a little more tumeric. Don't overdo it; tumeric has a distinctive taste.

Continue adding stock 1/4 cup at a time as the rice absorbs the liquid. Stir frequently.

Add the capsicum, zucchini, beans and tomatoes, including juice. Add cumin, paprika, cayenne, coriander and tabasco. Continue frying rice for another 15–20 minutes, or until rice is just this side of al dente. Taste, and adjust the spices if necessary.

Add kale and 1/4 cup of stock (if all liquid is absorbed). Remove from heat when liquid is absorbed and kale has just begun to wilt.