This is my family rice recipie. People really really like this rice. It’s full of flavor. Let me know how it goes for you.  

Ingredients:
2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup rendered lard or vegetable oil 

1/2 bell pepper
5 cloves garlic, finely grated 
3 medium chopped carrots
2/3 medium yellow or white onion, chopped 

1 tablespoon of cumin

1 chicken bullion cube 
4 teaspoons Kosher salt 
3 tablespoons tomato paste 
4 cups homemade chicken stock
1-5 jalapeño chiles

fresh cilantro

Brown the rice (8 mins)

Heat a large flat bottomed skillet over medium medium-high heat. Add the dry, unwashed rice, stir it with a wooden spoon until it’s toasted (it will have a rich slightly nutty smell). The key is to keep it moving, try to not let it burn. 

Prepare the Flavor (around 7 mins)

Warm a Dutch oven  over medium heat. 

One by one add the lard/oil, bell peppers, garlic, carrots, onions an the teaspoons salt stir until until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown

Add the tomato paste stirring it into the vegetables until it's a deep brick color. This should only take a minute.

Cooking the rice (20 mins)

Pour in the chicken stock stock and add the buillon cube and the cumin powder. Keep it on medium-high heat until it boils. 

Stir in the rice. When it gets to a boil again, add the chiles, lower the heat to low and put the lid on. Ignore the impulse to check the rice for 20 minutes. Afterwords,  peek under to see if all the liquid is gone; if not, continue to cook for at least 10 minutes and check again. Once the liquid has been absorbed, remove from the heat. The rice should be soft and fluffy. Serve with some fresh cilantro on top. 

Variations

1. Add peas or corn (or both) when you stir in the rice.

2. Add grilled chicken pices when you stir in the rice. 

5. Use crushed cumin seeds instead of ground cumin.

5. Grate 2 serrano chilis and add them just before putting the lid on. (Spicier)

How to serve

1. By itself

2. On a warm corn tortilla with beef, chicken, goat, or potatoes.

3. On a warm corn tortilla with chopped cilantro, onion, and a spritz of lime.