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You are here: Home | Vegan Mexican Recipes | Mexican Rice and Chili-Garlic Potatoes

Mexican Rice and Chili-Garlic Potatoes

By Vaishali | Updated on May 10, 2019 | Posted on March 27, 2009 | 17 Comments

It’s Spring, and today’s a beautiful day out here in my corner of the world. The sun’s shining, the birds are singing, the squirrels are frolicking…you get the picture?

Of course, not all’s right with the world. Here we are, neck-deep and in some cases over our heads in a recession that’s bordering on a depression. The news makes you want to scream– unemployment, poverty, growing numbers of homeless people…how did this happen in the world’s most prosperous country?

Of course, all of this is accompanied by well-coiffured, well-dressed and — not to forget– well-off television news show hosts advising you relentlessly on penny-pinching tactics. Give up that morning latte, clip coupons, shop the sales… Duh!

Well, I have one for you, and this one’s actually good: go vegan!

Cutting out meat from your diet is a great way to cut down on grocery bills. All that animal cruelty and suffering comes at a price– not just to the poor animals, but to you too. Staples of vegetarian diets like rice, beans and vegetables are far cheaper than meat. Plus, you can grow at least some of your own veggies if you have even a tiny piece of land or even a sunny window. On the other hand, try growing a cow at home!

And you just can’t beat the tradeoff: you get to be much healthier while saving your money. Some of you might have read about this study in the papers this week that said red meat increases your chances of dying early. So why not just eat your veggies and let everyone– animals included– live longer?

Unless you are still in the dark ages, you have to know that vegan diets are not just about soy and tofu. In fact, vegans tend to naturally veer toward interesting and unusual foods because their world is not limited to hamburgers and steaks.

And now here’s a perfect recipe to illustrate that. Mexican Rice with Stir-Fried Potatoes. Serve this up, and you’ll really want to go vegan. This one is great on its own, with a salad, with a spicy curry, or even rolled up in a burrito with some refried beans.

Enjoy, all!

Mexican Rice (Arroz a la Mexicana)

Ingredients:

1 cup long-grain rice like Basmati

1 large tomato, sliced into quarters, drizzled with some salt, pepper and olive oil and roasted in a 400-degree oven for about 25-30 minutes. After the tomato cools, puree it in a blender or food processor, juices and all.

1 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced thinly

1 bunch scallions/spring onions, both green and white parts chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups boiling water

1 medium carrot, cut in a small dice

2 large jalapeno chilies or any other fairly mild green chili pepper

Salt to taste

Fresh cilantro (coriander) for garnish

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until translucent.

Stir in the carrots, chilies and spring onions and stir together.

Add the rice and the tomato puree. Mix well, then add the boiling water.

Add salt to taste.

Bring the water to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

Turn off and let it sit, without removing the lid, for another 10 minutes.

Serve hot.

Potatoes with Jalapeno Chilies and Garlic

Ingredients:

4 large yellow potatoes, boiled in their jackets until just tender, then cut into a 3/4-inch dice (don’t overcook them or they will break up on you).

2 large jalapeno chilies, cut into rings (substitute with any other fairly mild chili pepper

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp vegan “butter” + 1 tsp olive oil (this is really important to get that lovely golden-brown crust)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt to taste

Heat the oil and “butter” in a skillet, preferably a cast-iron one.

Add the chilies and potatoes and saute about 5 minutes until the potatoes have a lovely golden-brown color.

Add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes.

Stir in the salt and balsamic vinegar.

Garnish with fresh cilantro (coriander) if desired, and serve hot.

***
My brother-in-law Naru sent out this email the other day, and usually when I see the words “inspiring” and “motivational,” I hit the delete button faster than I can read the subject line. But this was my brother-in-law, so I gave it a minute, and I rather liked one part of it, because it’s sometimes good to remind ourselves how lucky we are. I don’t vouch for the accuracy of those statistics, but they can’t be far from true. So here it goes:

If you have never experienced the danger of war or the solitude of imprisonment, the agony of torture and hunger, you are much ahead of 500 million people who live through it every day.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes to wear, a roof on your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the people who live on this Earth.

If you can go to your place of worship without being threatened, arrested, tortured or killed, you are luckier than 3000,000,000 people in this world.

If you have money in your bank account and your wallet and some loose change in some little box, you are one of the world’s 8% well-to-do population.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

(C) All recipes and photographs copyright of Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes.

Filed Under: All Recipes, Vegan Mexican Recipes, Vegan Rice Recipes

About Vaishali


I cook and eat simple, tasty and nutritious plant-based food in my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. Read more about me here.

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Comments

  1. Poornima Nair says

    March 27, 2009 at

    That’s a delicious meal Vaishali…looks very tempting.
    Reading the second part just makes us realize how privileged we are, something we often forget.

    Reply
  2. Priya says

    March 28, 2009 at

    Really invting platter, love the chili garlic potatoes, mexican rice makes me hungry…

    Reply
  3. Sunshinemom says

    March 28, 2009 at

    I really feel sorry esp. for the labour class – I mean janitors, cleaners etc. I was surprised to hear from my neighbour how his office had reduced the housekeeping staff to half its strength. The educated mass has hope but I wonder what the labour class will do! Will they be driven to take easier and illegal means? The no. of factories closing down is really alarming! Our vehicle cleaner is a victim of lock out too but the guy immediately took a way out without even waiting – survival of the fittest!

    I tried your other roasted potatoes a few days back – they were great. This version is similar to what I make but I slice them into rounds. Yum!

    Reply
  4. Mihl says

    March 28, 2009 at

    That looks so good! Isn’t it funny how people always thing that veganism is expensive? And now look at that meal 🙂

    Reply
  5. Red Chillies says

    March 28, 2009 at

    I come here for inspiration and motivation and seriously find one. I am a vegetarian by choice and so glad and proud that I am one.
    The inspiration sent by your BIL is worth every bit. I read it twice and helps put so many things in perspective.

    i loved your version of the chilli garlic potato.

    Reply
  6. Gita's Kitchen says

    March 28, 2009 at

    Both the dishes looks delcious Vaishali, nice pictures!

    Reply
  7. Maya says

    March 28, 2009 at

    Lovely looking rice and scrumptious are those potatoes! Good fwded email that was, makes one think.

    Reply
  8. Ashwini says

    March 29, 2009 at

    That is so inviting..Love mexican rice..It is so flavourful and yumm..Those potatoes looks very tempting..Will try those..

    Reply
  9. Lavi says

    March 29, 2009 at

    Vaishali..Mexican Rice and potato combi is inviting me..

    Enjoy Your Spring!

    Reply
  10. A_and_N says

    March 29, 2009 at

    Those chilli potatoes are mine! 🙂

    Reply
  11. A_and_N says

    March 29, 2009 at

    I pressed enter before I finished my comment! Sorry.

    Its sickening to see what is happening. Sigh. My friend lost his job and is working at a petrol bunk now to make ends meet. He cannot even afford to call home now. And I’m mad that I’m unable to do anything about it.

    Reply
  12. Mints! says

    March 29, 2009 at

    Vaishali, your recipes are always simple and full of flavor. At the same time your writing is the magnet which always draws me to your blog.

    Keep writing, keep encouraging.

    Reply
  13. Priya Narasimhan says

    March 30, 2009 at

    Nice wrtie up and nice recipe too.

    Reply
  14. Pavithra Kodical says

    March 31, 2009 at

    Your blog is truly an inspiration for all vegans.Oh potatoes, garlic and chili what a combination. Mouthwatering recipe Vaishali.

    Reply
  15. Usha says

    March 31, 2009 at

    Absolutely loved this combination !

    Reply
  16. Gary says

    April 1, 2009 at

    Made the Mexican rice – delicious! I had to cook it a longer – maybe I added too much of something or not enough of another. Or had the flame on too low. But the flavors blended beautifully – didn’t even need salt.

    Reply
  17. Divya Vikram says

    April 10, 2009 at

    I always dont get the taste of the mexican rice we have in restaurants. Will try your recipe. Sounds delicious.

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Vaishali!

I cook and eat simple, tasty and nutritious plant-based food in my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. More about me >>

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