Mexican Style Capsicum Sweetcorn Rice

I always have a bag of full of shelled sweetcorn kernels at home. I cant begin to say how handy they can be, especially when I am in a rush. S usually shells the fresh sweetcorn and we store them in a freezer safe container in the freezer after washing thoroughly. When the need arises, all I have to do is walk to my refrigerator, pick a handful of sweetcorn kernels and use them directly. Unlike the store bought frozen sweetcorn, I don’t have to thaw it or rinse away the frozen sweetcorn as these are already washed with freshwater. Usually I use up most of the shelled sweetcorn kernels in about a month.

Not only sweetcorn can be added to the different rice varieties, soups or pastas – they can be had as it is too. When I am too hungry, I just microwave a handful of sweetcorn kernels with salt and little water. Hot n tasty sweetcorn would be ready in a couple of minutes and in a fraction of the cost of what we pay at the sweetcorn stalls outside.

It is well known that sweetcorn and capsicum form a super good combination. When I am too bored to prepare an elaborate lunch, I end up making this one pot meal of sweet corn capsicum rice. The flavors of this rice are towards the Mexican side, with chilli flakes and lots of garlic. I added a medium sized tomato for the added color and zing.

To prepare Mexican Style Capsicum Sweetcorn Rice

Serves – 2

Time to prepare – 20mins

What I used –

• Basmati Rice/Normal Rice, 1 cup
• Capsicum Diced, ½ cup
• Sweetcorn kernels, ½ cup
• Tomato, 1 medium
• Onion, 1 medium
• Finely Chopped Garlic, 2 tbsp
• Chilli Flakes, 2 tsp
• Paprika Powder, 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Oregano Spice Mix, 1 teaspoon ( a mixture of oregano, parsley and thyme)
• Oil, 2 tsp
• Salt, as req

How I made –

1. Cook the basmati rice either in a pressure cooker or in a pot with salt. If you are using pressure cooker, add 1.5 cups of water for a cup of rice. Cook for two whistles on medium flame, let the pressure drop before opening the lid. In an open pot method, cook the rice with lots of water on medium flame. When the rice seems cooked enough, drain the additional water. Spread the rice on a large plate to cool off completely. Set aside.
2. In a pan, heat oil. Add finely chopped garlic. When it’s turning golden brown, add finely chopped onion and cook until translucent.
3. Add diced capsicum and sweetcorn kernels. Cook for a couple of minutes.
4. For the tomato, remove the inside pulp and dice the skin and add it to the pan. Cook for another two minutes. I used a very juicy tomato and it did not retain its shape. It helps if the tomato is firm.
5. Add chilli flakes, paprika powder and oregano spice mix. Add salt required for the vegetables. Cook for a minute.
6. Add the cooked (and cooled down) rice to the pan and give it a good toss. When the rice is mixed well with the vegetables and spices, it’s ready.
7. Serve hot.

Note: Capsicum should not be overcooked and should still retain a crunch. Oregano spice mix is optional. I wanted to add parsley to it but had none so ended up adding the dried herbs. Paprika powder can be replaced with Kashmiri chilli powder but do not add more than ½ teaspoon - the flavors are not the same.