Chepil Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups Mahatma® Jasmine Rice
- 1/2 cup white onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 to 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers finely chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp kosher or coarse sea salt
- 1 cup chepil leaves
Instructions
Chepil is an important ingredient in Oaxacan cuisine that elevates Mahatma® Jasmine Rice for a flavorful side. Try it in this recipe by Chef Pati Jinich.
Step 1
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Make room in the center of the pan, add onion, garlic and chile. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring and mixing with rice.
Step 2
Pour chicken broth and salt and stir once. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, add chepil leaves, stir, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until most liquid has been absorbed.
Step 3
Remove from the heat and let rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and serve.
What is Chepil?
Chepil or chipilín is a leguminous plant that grows in bushes in many regions of Mexico such as Chiapas, Tabasco and Oaxaca. In fact, it is fairly common to find this bush in gardens and lawns across Central America.
The leaves should grow in thin stems that are cropped for many local recipes such as Arroz con Chepil, blended into the dough of Tamales or tortillas, or dried and crushed for seasoning mixes. If you are making this recipe with fresh chepilín, remove leaves from stems and soak in water to clean thoroughly.
The flavor is similar to watercress or spinach, which are great substitutes to use in place of these tiny green leaves. Simmer with rice and enjoy its delicious taste and bright color that adds to plain jasmine white rice.
Add chepil to other rice recipes where spinach is used, like this One-Pot Green Chicken Curry or this simple Yellow Rice for a twist. Chepilín leaves are usually eaten fully cooked, either steamed or boiled.
Adventurous Side Dishes
By getting creative with different foods and mix-ins, you can whip up delicious side dishes to switch up your weekly meals. While no one can resist a steamy bowl of white rice, there’s some fun in adding different sauces, spices or vegetables to unlock new flavors. Here are some ingredient picks and dishes to get you inspired.
- For another Latin American classic that can be used as a side dish, learn how to make Mexican Rice.
- Try shredded zucchini, Parmesan cheese and cilantro in this Zucchini Rice.
- Combine homemade or store-bought chimichurri with Basmati Rice for a Classic Chimichurri Rice.
- Use chipotles in adobo, heavy cream and Monterey Jack cheese for a spicy Chipotle Queso Rice.
- For a Mediterranean classic, take a look at one of our Paella recipes.
Looking for dessert ideas? Try our Cuban arroz con leche recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
Baby watercress can be swapped in for chepil.
