Spanish Black Rice Paella 

One of the best ways to upscale black rice is to transform it into an exotic recipe. Try this Spanish recipe that does the best justice to the unique black rice. 

Tips to Remember: 

Black rice does not undergo any polishing process, and hence has a thick and has a bite to it. You can slow cook it with enough water, or even use a pressure cooker to ease the process of cooking.

Serves: 8 servings
Total Time: 1 hour 

Ingredients: 

For the marinade: 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder 
• 2 tsp dried oregano 
• Salt to taste 
• Black pepper to taste 

For Paella 

• 1 kg chicken breasts, washed and chopped into cubes 
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes 
• 2 cups black rice, uncooked 
• 4-5 strands of saffron
• 1-2 bay leaves 
• ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
• 200 ml chicken stock
• Zest of 2 lemons 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1kg peeled and deveined prawns (shrimp) 

Method: 

1. The first step is to marinate the chicken. Take a mixing bowl, and add the olive oil, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and oregano along with salt and pepper. Now add the chicken pieces, mix everything well and keep aside. 
2. To prepare the rice for the paella, take a large open pan, and add some olive oil to it, now add the minced garlic and red chilli flakes. 
3. Now add the uncooked black rice and mix that well. Now add the other seasonings like saffron strands, bay leaves, parsley, lemon zest and chicken stock. Now lower the heat cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. 
4. While the rice cooks, take a separate saucepan and add some olive oil to it. Add the chopped onions and cook them till they are translucent. Now add the red bell peppers and give them a quick toss. Next, add the chicken that was marinated earlier. 
5. Cook until the chicken is cooked through. Now add the shrimp and mix that with the meat. Cook until the shrimp turn pink and cook well. 
6. Check if the rice is cooked, once it is done, spread the rice in a layer on your serving plate. Top the rice with the final topping of meat and shrimp mix. Serve while hot.