Lime and Coriander Rice: A Perfect Mexican Side!

Light and fresh, this lime and coriander rice is the perfect accompaniment to a Mexican stew but is also great with lots of my Indian curry recipes. It really is so versatile. If you're looking for an easy way to make a tasty rice side dish then you have to try this citrusy coriander rice.

I have to admit that I am often a little unadventurous and boring where rice is concerned. I tend to focus on the main dish and we often just have plain rice on the side. After all, if I've made a tasty stew packed with flavour, having extra flavour in the rice is not absolutely essential!

No, it's not essential but it's definitely not something I would turn down! Every time I make this coriander and lime rice I end up asking myself why I don't shake up my plain boiled rice every time!

This lime and coriander rice is not only super easy to make, it's also really tasty and the lime juice adds a really fresh zingy flavour to the meal. I love that about citrus fruit and this rice is no exception. By the way, do also check out my spicy Mexican rice recipe if you want some thing a little hotter!

What ingredients do you need for lime and coriander rice?

To make this easy rice side dish you'll need:

• Rice - I usually use basmati rice but you can use any long grain rice. These days I like to make it with brown basmati rice as I love the flavour of brown rice.
• Coriander (cilantro) Spring onions - If you don't have spring onions you can use some finely diced red onion or even a mild brown onion.
• Lime - Make sure it's a fresh lime and don't use lime juice from a bottle. It's just not the same.
• Seasoning - Just a pinch salt and black pepper.

How to cook the rice

To cook the rice you can just boil it and then rinse it afterwards. To be honest, that's the way I often cook rice.

However, it's often best to cook rice using the absorption method.

• Rinse the rice well to remove excess starch.
• Put the rice in a saucepan with one and a half times as much water. For example you'll need 300ml of water for 200g rice.
• Bring the water to the boil and then lower the heat and put a lid on the pan.
• Simmer it gently for 10 minutes.
• Take the lid off and taste a grain of rice to check if the rice is cooked. If the rice is still uncooked in the middle, cook it for a little longer.
• When ready, fluff the rice up with a fork.

How to prepare the lime and coriander rice

After the rice has cooked, stir in the chopped coriander (cilantro), diced onion and lime juice. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Taste the rice and if necessary add a little extra of any of the ingredients.

How can you adapt this coriander and lime rice?

If you want to make a few changes to this dish, go ahead. You can change the herbs or switch the lime to lemon.

Personally I think parsley, mint and lemon are a brilliant substitution to make if you want to serve this rice with kebabs or other North African or Middle Eastern inspired meals.

If you want to really bring out the citrus flavours then grate a little lime zest into the rice too. Just make sure it's an unwaxed lime first.

What can you serve with this rice?

I love to serve this citrus coriander rice with my slow cooker Mexican beef stew, this easy peanut mole with chicken or my Mexican chicken stew. It's great with all kinds of curries and tagines too.

It's also lovely with this chipotle lime chicken. I often add a few extra veggies into the rice when serving it with something like this.

How to store

You can keep this rice in the fridge for up to three days. I prefer to eat the leftovers cold as a rice salad as I don't want to reheat the lime and coriander.

If you do reheat it then make sure the rice is piping hot before serving.

Recipe

Lime and Coriander Rice

Corina Blum

This light and tasty citrus and coriander rice makes the perfect side dish for a rich stew.   You can also use it as a the base for a salad.

4.74 from 15 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine International, Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 190 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 200 g rice
• 3 tablespoon coriander (cilantro) chopped
• 2 spring onions thinly sliced
• 1 lime juiced
• pinch salt
• pinch black pepper

Instructions

 

• Cook the rice. Boil and then rinse or if using the absorption method, rinse well and then cover with 300ml of water and simmer for 10 minutes. Fluff up with a fork when cooked.
• Stir in the coriander, spring onions and lime juice. Add a little salt and black pepper at the end to taste.

Video

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and a guideline only.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Coriander Rice, lime rice

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More rice dishes you might like

If you're looking for more rice dishes then why not try one of these:

• Spiced wild rice and pea salad
• Vietnamese chicken salad
• Chicken fried rice
• Winter rice salad

Keep in touch

Do let me know if you make this lime and coriander rice or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.

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