The Wet Ingredient You Need To Ditch For Perfect Mexican Rice
Mexican rice wouldn't be the same without the wonderful acidic and sweet taste that tomato sauce adds to this dish. However, if you find the rice looks like it's swimming in a pool of red water when you make your version of this staple, you aren't alone. Tomatoes by their very nature are water-rich fruits. So, when you add in a can of tomato sauce, it can upset the liquid to rice ratio that is needed when making any rice dish. There's actually a simple solution to this all too common problem: Skip the tomato sauce and use tomato bouillon instead.
Tomato bouillon is a dehydrated and concentrated stock that has been highly seasoned. It's often used as a base for soup and has a rich, savory, and intense flavor thanks to its tomato base. Bouillon perfectly complements the traditional garlic, cumin, and onion seasonings used to make this recipe, and equally as important, it solves those watery issues.
Mind your ratios
Change can be scary, but if you're worried that the fluffiness of your Mexican rice will be compromised without the use of tomato sauce, don't be. Using tomato bouillon will still allow you to achieve the dry, authentic texture you love with the same delicious taste, while assuring it isn't soggy or mushy.
However, because tomato bouillon is known for its strong flavor, there are some things you should keep in mind if you decide to skip the tomato sauce and replace it with tomato bouillon. First, remember that the substitution ratio is one teaspoon of tomato bouillon for one cup of tomato sauce. Additionally, if you're wondering if the use of a salty bouillon changes the amount of water you need to use, the answer is no. The rule of thumb here is to use twice as much water as you use rice. So, if you are using a single cup of rice, you would use two cups of water.