Homemade Spanish Rice

For last night's dinner, we cooked up some quesadillas with the leftover rajma beans. I made some Spanish rice to eat on the side. It turned out good, except easy on the salt next time.

• 1/2 cup of basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tomatoes, chopped or pureed
  
• 1 onion, chopped lengthwise
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped lengthwise
• 1 green chilli, ground into paste
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, ground into paste
• 1" piece of ginger, ground into paste
• 1 tsp red chili pepper
• 2 tsp taco seasoning
• salt as per taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• cilantro for garnish

1. Heat up oil in pan. Add the onions, bell peppers, green chili, garlic and ginger paste. Sautee for 1-2 minutes. Then add in the washed rice. Cook the rice without water for a few minutes.
2. Then add in the tomatoes, salt, chili pepper, taco seasoning, black pepper, and water and let cook (lid open) on med heat.
3. Check rice after 5-7 minutes. Close lid when rice is close to being done and reduce heat to low. Garnish with cilantro and serve as side with Mexican dishes.