Super Easy Dominican Moro de Maíz – Yellow Rice With Corn

I love to eat but I do not love cooking. I ‘m all about making lots of quick and healthy meals that my family will love to eat but are not too complicated to make. Here is a delicious recipe for Dominican yellow rice with corn that is quick and easy. Plus, I will teach you how to make Sofrito which you can then save to season other foods later on. The beauty of sofrito is that it is packed with veggies, but your family will have no idea that they are eating them! Win, win.

First, you need to make the Sofrito base so today you get a two for one. Sofrito is actually something we Dominicans use to season almost all of our food so I make a big batch and then save it for other things. In my case I use it on tofu, veggie burgers, beans, and other rice with veggie or bean dishes. Normally, non vegans will also use this to season all their meats as well.

Ingredients For Your Sofrito:

• 1 large red onion
• 1 large bell pepper (any color)
• 3-4 celery stalks
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon of finely ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of white distilled vinegar
• Half a bunch of cilantro

The original recipe does not call for turmeric but it naturally gives us a nice yellow color, and is super healthy, so I love using it now. Put all of the ingredients in your food processor and mix for about 30-40 seconds until all the veggies are finely diced but it’s not just liquid left.

Put all of the ingredients in your food processor and mix for about 30-40 seconds until all the veggies are finely diced but it’s not just liquid left.

Once you have the seasoning for the rice you can start cooking.

Ingredients for Moro de Maíz:

• 5 cups of water
• 3 cups of white rice (washed and rinsed)
• 1 can of yellow corn (you can add another half of a can or whole can if you want more corn, but then make sure to add a bit more water)
• 1 small can of tomato paste (I get the 6 oz. organic paste from Costco)
• 2-3 tablespoons of your seasoning base
• 1 teaspoon of salt

After you have washed your rice set it aside and heat a stock pot with about a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or whatever oil you prefer to cook with, over a medium flame. Once the oil is hot enough, add two or three tablespoons of the seasoning mixture you first prepared. This will make your kitchen become very aromatic. Let that cook a bit and get some color, don’t over cook though. Maybe about 1 minute on medium or low-medium. Next add your corn and let that cook in the seasoning for about 2-3 minutes. You just want it become flavorful not brown or black! Next add the rice and water and stir it all together. Add the salt, stir and taste. Make sure it tastes good and adjust if you need more seasoning or more salt. You should have enough water that there’s about half an inch of water over the rice. Raise the temperature to medium-high and let the water come to a boil.
Once the water is boiling lower the temperature to low and cover the pot. Set a 15 minute time so you can come back and stir the mix. After you stir it then let it continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. The rice should be loose and fluffy when it’s ready.