Hello foodies! I’m bursting with excitement as I’m about to share a special recipe with you — CHamoru-Inspired Red Rice! This vibrant dish holds a significant place in CHamoru cuisine. There are myriad ways to prepare it, and today, I’m going to walk you through my personal favorite method.

First things first, let’s prepare some Achote water. This step involves a whisk, a strainer, hot water, and achote seeds. Mix these until you have 6 cups of a beautiful, blood-orange liquid. I absolutely adore the unique smell and taste of achote seeds, and hence, I never miss this step.

Next, it’s time to melt some butter in a pot and cook up some bacon. Once it’s nicely cooked, set it aside for later. Now, add some onions and chives to the pot, followed by around 2 1/2 cups of rice. Now comes the time to pour in the Achote water you prepared earlier.

Let’s not forget to add chicken bouillon and salt to taste. Now, roll up your sleeves and get ready to stir occasionally for about 15 minutes. After that, let the rice slow-cook for another 5-10 minutes on low heat.

There you have it! Your very own CHamoru-Inspired Red Rice is ready to be devoured. You can serve it with your favorite main dish like fried chicken, bbq, finadene, or a side dish, or enjoy it standalone. Trust me when I say, it’s so delicious that you might be tempted to eat it straight from the pot!

Just a quick tip: Bacon is completely optional and keep in mind that the saltiness will depend on the type of bacon you use. You could also prepare more achote water and store it in the fridge for another day. And if you’re looking to add more color to your rice, feel free to add achote powder.

I’m eager to hear about your red rice adventures! How do you prefer to prepare your red rice?

Ingredients

• 6 cups achote water
• 460g rice
• 1/2 cup achote seeds mixed with water
• 1 pack of achote powder
• 2 tbsp chicken bouillon
• 3- 4 tbsp salted butter
• 3/4 cup bacon
• 1 medium onion
• chives
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. First, prepare Achote water: Use a whisk and a strainer with hot water and achote seeds, and mix until you have 6 cups of a blood orange liquid.
2. In a pot, melt butter and cook bacon, then set aside.
3. Add onions and chives to the pot.
4. Add about 2 1/2 cups of rice to the pot.
5. Pour in 5-6 cups of the prepared Achote water.
6. Add chicken bouillon and salt to taste.
7. Stir occasionally for 15 minutes.
8. Let the rice cook for another 5-10 minutes on low heat.
9. Serve with your favorite entree like fried chicken, bbq, finadene, or sides, or eat it by itself.

Here is a short video on how to make it! https://youtube.com/shorts/3q7eFZ9savY?feature=share