List of rice dishes that will blow your mind

A staple diet of many countries, usually eaten in its actual form or used as batter for crepes, dosas, etc., rice is one popular food group that many people consider to be their favorite ‘go to’ dish. Specialfoodz has endeavored to bring to you a list of rice dishes from around the world to tease your stomach and your palate.

Arroz con gandules – A Puerto Rican rice dish which consists of rice as its main ingredient along with pigeon peas, capers, olives, pork, all of which is cooked in the same pot with spices, Puerto Rican-style sofrito, and annatto oil. A national dish of Puerto Rico, this scintillating and colorful meal is one everybody must try by perhaps using other kinds of meat according to one’s convenience.

Arroz con pollo – Another rice dish with a Spanish name, and this time originating in Spain itself, the Arroz con pollo, translated as ‘Rice with Chicken’ (an awesome combination, we must admit), is the staple food of Latin America. It Is also a traditional dish of the Caribbean, Dominican Republic and plenty of other South American countries. The dish itself is somewhat similar to Arroz con gandules that we mentioned earlier.

Bisi Bele Bath – A rice dish that is native to India, this is one meal that is spectacular in its appearance as well as its taste. The dish is usually made in Karnataka as it originated there. ‘Bisi Bele Bath’ translates to ‘hot lentil rice’ in Kannada. This traditional meal, usually eaten for breakfast, is quite elaborate in its setup. The dish itself is sem-solid in its texture. Some of its variety of ingredients include spices, toor dal (a kind of lentil), vegetables, nutmeg, asafetida, curry leaves and tamarind pulp all of which contributes to its unique, spicy, and tangy flavour.

Bhat – Originating from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, this rice based dish is cooked either by boiling or steaming. This is the staple diet of all these countries which requires little effort to make but is healthy and nutritious and is filled with carbs. The rice dish is usually eaten with some gravy or curry mixed into the rice.

Bokkeumbap – Not like the fried rice that the world at large or as a fact India, is accustomed to, this fried rice that originates from Korea, usually orange in color (as opposed to the white colored fried rice that we know of) along with being spicy, aromatic and delicious is one of the most popular dishes of the place. Some of the ingredients use to make this fried rice is kimchi (cucumber with filling that turns to a kind of pickle). It is referred to as kimchi bokkeumbap (kimchi fried rice).

Ci fan tuan – Perpetually made in Shanghai (china) and Taiwan, the Ci fan tuan, is prepared by tightly wrapping a piece of youtiao (fried dough) with glutinous rice. They look like cylindrical rice balls and are usually served in a pot.

Congee – Made in East, South and Southeast Asia, this dish is a kind of porridge that is sometimes referred to as ‘rice congee’. A ginormous variety of this dish is found in Honk Kong and is eaten as a staple food there. The dish is made by boiling rice (which becomes the base), which is then left to simmer for quite some time. Different kinds of ingredients are added to it depending on the region that you want to follow. The length of time the dish is left to simmer also depends on the region. Some variants are cooked differently to give it a smooth texture.

Étouffée - Originating in Cajun and Creole, this cuisine is typically prepared using shellfish over rice. The dish is made using a technique called smothering, where meat seafood or vegetables is cooked in a covered pan over a low-heat flame with just small amounts of liquids added to it. It is a popular cooking technique native to Cajun and Creole cuisines of Louisiana.