- 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, medium diced (1-1/2 cups)
- 1 medium poblano, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced (1/2 cup)
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbs.)
- 1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
- 1 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
- 2-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained well
- 1 lime
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- In a heavy-based 3-qt. saucepan with a tight lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, and garlic, and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and the spices are very fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the rice and salt, and stir well to coat each grain with oil. Toast for a full 5 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the grains separated and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan (the rice may turn opaque before 5 minutes is up, but keep going). Reduce the heat to low if there are any signs of scorching.
- Add the chicken broth and tomatoes, stir once, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the pilaf sit, still covered, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, finely grate 1 Tbs. zest from the lime, and then cut the lime into wedges.
- Once the pilaf has rested, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Using the fork, gently fold in the cilantro, jalapeño, and lime zest. Season to taste with salt. Serve with the lime wedges for spritzing over the rice.