Yellow Rice with Sofrito

I didn't know what sofrito means until I found this recipe at Gourmet. Sofrito is a Spanish word for a well cooked and fragrant sauce. And it's great with yellow rice. This recipe comes out great each and every time.

The amounts for the sofrito was not enough for me, so I doubled the amounts and it came out great. You can also use 1 cup rice to 2 cups of water which makes the measuring easier.:)

I didn't have turmeric handy, so I skipped it, and as far as I'm concerned it was fine without it. And I have been cooking it without it all the time. I keep thinking one day.....:)

YELLOW RICE WITH SOFRITO

Ingredients:
For sofrito:
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon minced red or green bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander sprigs
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Make sofrito:
In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan cook onion, bell pepper, coriander, and garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add turmeric and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in rice, water, and salt and bring to a boil, uncovered.

Boil rice, uncovered, without stirring, until surface of rice is covered with steam holes and grains on top appear dry, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to as low as possible and cook rice, tightly covered, 15 minutes more.

Remove pan from heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes.