Azzor Rojos

Azzor Rojos is a vegetarian Mexican rice side dish built around the one step that separates good rice from great: toasting the raw grains in hot oil before any liquid goes near them.

The rice stirs in the oil for two minutes until the grains turn opaque and start to smell nutty. That toasting creates a light coating around each grain that keeps them separate and adds a layer of flavor you won’t get from just boiling rice in broth.

From there it’s straightforward: onion and garlic go in, then cumin and chili powder, then chopped tomatoes which cook down for a few minutes before the vegetable broth goes in. Cover and simmer until almost tender, then stir in the green peas and chopped pimiento for the final few minutes.

The pimiento at the end is the color move — red rice, green peas, bright pimiento, garnished with sliced red pepper. This is a side dish that looks as good as it eats.

Kitchen Tips

• Toast the rice until you can see the grains turn from translucent to opaque throughout; that’s when the toasting is done properly
• Keep the heat low once covered; rice simmers, not boils
• Don’t lift the lid while the rice cooks — steam loss leads to uneven cooking and dry spots
• Taste before adding salt since different vegetable broths vary widely in sodium

Variations

• Add a pinch of smoked paprika for a deeper, richer red color
• Stir in a handful of frozen corn alongside the peas for more color and texture