1⅔ c. chicken or veggie broth or water 1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil2 fresh poblano (Ancho) chiles, stems 1 c. medium-grain rice & seeds removed, & roughly chopped 1 small onion, cut into ¼” dice Salt, about ½ tsp. if using salted broth, 5 garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped 1 tsp. if using unsalted or water 12 sprigs cilantro, plus extra for garnish
In a 2-qt saucepan, combine the broth & chiles, bring to a boil, then partially cover & simmer gently over med. to med-low heat for about 10 mins, until the chiles are very soft. Pour mixture into a food processor, add the cilantro (stems & all), & process to a smooth puree. Press through a med.-mesh strainer into a bowl & stir in the salt. Wipe the pan clean, add the oil & heat over medium. Add rice & onion, & cook, stirring regularly, until rice is chalky looking & the onion is soft, about 5 mins. Stir in garlic & cook a minute longer.
Add the warm (or reheated) chile liquid to the hot rice pan, stir once, scrape down any rice kernels clinging to the side of the pan, cover, & cook over med-low heat for 15 mins. Uncover & check a grain of rice: it should be nearly cooked through. If the rice is just about ready, turn off the heat, re-cover & let stand for 5 to 10 mins longer to complete the cooking. If the rice seems far from done, continue cooking for 5 mins or so, retest, then turn off the heat & let stand a few minutes longer. Fluff with a fork, scoop into a warm serving dish, decorate with cilantro sprigs & it's ready to serve.
Variations & improvisations: Use 3 or 4 long green (Anaheim) chiles, or mix poblanos & long greens with hotter chiles like jalapeño, manzano or habanero. Grilled corn cut from 1 cob or 1 large grilled zucchini (cubed) are tasty vegetable add-ins. About 1 cup coarsely shredded roast (or barbecued) pork or smoked salmon, mixed in toward the end of cooking, will make green rice a full meal. by Rick Bayless in Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen