Spanish Bomba Rice Recipe

You can make a delicious, authentic Paella–the most popular dish of Spain–in your own kitchen with simple ingredients like rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken, and seafood. If you love cooking International food, you will fall in love with this comforting dish! 

My goal with this paella recipe was to use the tutelage I received while living in Madrid to create a traditional Spanish paella that anyone can make (and without special equipment, like a paella pan). After lots of trial and error, I am so excited to share everything I know and have learned about making Paella, as authentically and practically for the home cook, as possible.

Paella (pai · ei · uh) is a classic Spanish rice dish made with rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken, and seafood cooked and served in one pan. Although paella originates from Valencia, it’s recognized as the national food of Spain and there are several different varieties. The most common types of paella are chicken paella, seafood paella, or mixed paella (a combination of seafood, meats, and vegetables).

Vegetable Paella Recipe (spanish Style Vegetable Rice) By Archana's Kitchen

The main ingredients in every paella dish are rice, saffron, chicken, and vegetables.  From there, ingredients vary depending on the type of paella or region where it’s made.  The ingredients in this easy paella recipe include:

1. Sauté:  Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add broth.  Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (Do not stir the mixture going forward!). Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth once or twice during cooking.

Bomba Rice Paella (easy Recipe)

5. Cook uncovered: Cook paella uncovered for 15-18 minutes, then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender.

6. Cover and let rest.  Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Spanish rice (also called “bomba” rice, calaspara rice, arroz redonda) is traditional in Paella, and it’s what I recommend using. It’s a short grain rice that absorbs more water than regular rice, without turning mushy. You can buy Spanish rice on Amazon, World Market or an international food market.

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If you don’t like seafood, leave it out and substitute more chicken and vegetables. You can use any combination of your favorite seafood including clams, scallops and chopped pieces of fish. Frozen seafood is a great accessible option if you don’t live near the ocean. (Costco sells a great mixed seafood bag in their freezer section with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and calamari.) Be sure to thaw frozen seafood in the fridge overnight before using.

When buying fresh seafood make sure to smell it to make sure it’s fresh. It should not have a strong fishy odor. Most of the seafood used here will smell like nothing, or just like the ocean (slightly salty). Be sure to clean it properly (remove “beards” from mussels, if necessary).

No, you can us a regular large skillet to make Paella (I use a 12×2 inch skillet and this recipe fills it to the brim). Traditional paella is cooked in a large paella pan because it allow the rice to be spread out into a thin layer and cook more evenly.

Bomba Rice Do

You can make a delicious, authentic Paella--the most popular dish of Spain--in your own kitchen with simple ingredients like rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken, and seafood.

*Rice: Spanish rice (also called “bomba” rice, calaspara rice, arroz redonda) is traditional in Paella, and it’s what I recommend using. (If your grocery store doesn't carry it, try Amazon, World Market, or an International food market). If necessary you can substitute medium grain rice, like Calrose rice which can be found at Walmart or most grocery stores, and reduce the broth to 3 ¾ cups. (I don’t recommend using Arborio rice or long-grain rice for Paella).

*Broth: Authentic paella would include making your own fish stock from the discard shells of seafood. I usually substitute chicken broth for convenience.

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*Seafood: If you don’t like seafood, leave it out and substitute more chicken or vegetables. You can use any combination of your favorite seafood including clams, scallops and chopped pieces of fish. Frozen seafood is a great accessible option if you don’t live near the ocean. (Costco sells a great mixed seafood bag in their freezer section with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and calamari.) Be sure to thaw frozen seafood in the fridge overnight before using. If buying fresh seafood, smell it to make sure it’s fresh. It should not have a strong fishy odor. Most of the seafood used here will smell like nothing, or just like the ocean (slightly salty). Be sure to clean it properly (remove “beards” from mussels, if necessary).

*Saffron: this may be the most important ingredient, so it’s best to buy high quality. If your grocery store doesn’t carry it, try an International food market, or Amazon. If necessary, substitute 1 teaspoon saffron powder.

Calories: 535 kcal Carbohydrates: 59 g Protein: 37 g Fat: 15 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Cholesterol: 260 mg Sodium: 1159 mg Potassium: 805 mg Fiber: 3 g Sugar: 3 g Vitamin A: 1408 IU Vitamin C: 58 mg Calcium: 125 mg Iron: 4 mg

Easy Spanish Paella Recipe With Seafood [+video]

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.The most beloved of all Spanish dishes, Paella is an impressive combination of saffron-infused short-grain rice mixed with meat, seafood, and vegetables. Filled with traditional Spanish flavors, learn everything you need to know about making this delicious, crowd-pleasing Spanish paella recipe.

Remember the first time I ever experienced paella. Circa 2010, I had just landed in Spain with my boyfriend (now husband) for my first ever European holiday. It was also lunchtime. So, bags in low, we stopped to get paella. A dish completely unknown to me, it was all my husband could talk about for the weeks leading up to our trip. When I asked what it was he would say, “

And, in a nutshell, I suppose that, yes, that is paella. But the truth is that this Spanish dish, a must-experience for all who travel to Spain, is so much more than just

What Is Bomba Rice? Bomba Vs Arborio 101

Paella (pai · ei · uh) is a classic rice dish originally from the Valencian region of Eastern Spain. A major cultivator of rice since it was introduced to Spain by the Moors in the 10th century, Valencia was one of the largest trading ports in the Mediterranean.

It is believed that the original paella, paella Valenciana, consisted of short-grain rice plus whatever was on hand or leftover. This often included water vole (a type of water rodent), eel, and butter beans. Originally, paella would have been enjoyed by farmers and laborers as a lunchtime meal.

As living standards started to improve throughout Spain in the late 19th century, paella ingredients started to change with it. The most widely used ingredients at that time included – short-grain rice, chicken, snails, duck, rabbit, green beans, tomatoes, great northern beans, runner beans, artichoke (a substitute for beans in the winter), fresh rosemary, paprika, saffron, garlic, olive oil, and water.

The Perfect Pantry®: Valencia Or Bomba Rice (recipe: Mushroom And Asparagus Paella) {vegan, Gluten Free}

What makes a paella pan unique? It is a wide, shallow, and round pan with splayed sides. It has two looped handles and does not have a lid. The shape helps ensure that the rice cooks in a thin layer, which, according to several Valencians, should be no more than the width of about one finger (or 1/2 an inch). In order to create the highly sought-after

A crispy, golden crust on the bottom of the pan – it’s key to maximize the amount of rice touching the bottom of the pan. For this reason, paella pans grow in diameter, not in height.

No, you may use a regular 12-inch skillet, however, I would recommend cutting the recipe in half as everything will not fit into a pan that size.

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Spanish rice is rounded and short. It’s quite starchy and absorbs more liquid when compared to regular rice without turning mushy. Bomba rice is an overwhelming favorite, but other great rice options include Calasparra rice and Valencia rice).

Some people have success with arborio rice (the rice used to make risotto) or long-grain white rice, but I don’t recommend either of those. Calrose rice, widely available at most grocery stores, is the best substitute. Should you use this rice, decrease the total cooking liquid to 4 cups.

It is hotly debated whether sausage should be added to paella. Many people have very strong feelings that it should not, under any circumstance, be added to any paella recipe. Others, on the other hand, argue otherwise. I recall enjoying a

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