Healthy Paella Recipe - My Natural Family (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in paella? ›

Sofrito. Sofrito is a flavorful mixture of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and peppers that is used as a base for many Spanish and Latin American dishes, including paella. It's often called the "secret ingredient" in paella, as it adds a depth of flavor and richness to the dish.

Paella is rich in essential vitamins and minerals necessary for human health. If paella is made with fish or shellfish, it has a high concentration of vitamins such as vitamin A, omega-3, and fatty acids. It also includes minerals such as zinc, selenium, and iron.

To start, choose an Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain for this dish. It's what guarantees the best flavor and aromas. And to finish, once you turn off the stove, cover the paella with a dish towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Saffron is the most precious spice in the world and also a star ingredient in most paella dishes. Make the most of your paella night by using a high quality saffron.

What Can You Not Put in Paella? Real paella does not include many ingredients that go into other rice dishes. Some of these include onions, peas, mushrooms, carrots, and chorizo. While all good combinations with rice, these aren't part of the traditional paella recipes.

Cook in broth, not water – Fact is, the better the broth, the better the paella. The best is a homemade seafood broth.

Onion: Most Spanish recipes call for a fried onion as the basis of the dish, but paella isn't one of them.

Bomba is the best rice for paella. It's not only authentic to the dish, but the results are almost always perfect. Calasparra rice is an excellent substitute if you can't get your hands on bomba rice. Arborio Rice can work if you can't get bomba or Calasparra.

The rise in prices in February of several of its main ingredients has pushed the cost of paella to an all-time high: 19.1% more expensive than a year ago (Fig. 1). This is three times the 6% overall inflation rate in February. The price of olive oil has risen the most, it is 33.5% more expensive than in February 2022.

Why is it important not to stir paella? ›

In terms of the basic ingredients, paella is similar to a risotto. The main difference is paella doesn't require constant stirring. In fact, it's important not to stir it once the stock is added to ensure the delicious, light-golden crust, known as socarrat, forms on the base.

While this dish is light on protein it helps provides us with the energy we need to keep us going, and an abundance of fibre, which helps balance out cholesterol. One ingredient to note is the garlic, which is packed with a range of nutrients such as manganese and vitamin B6.

Saffron is the main spice to use, when making Paella. Saffron is the most expensive spice on Earth and is the red-yellow stigma of the crocus flower and must be hand-picked during short annual flowering seasons.

Turmeric is usually used in place of saffron in Paella when the traditional saffron threads aren't used. Although the flavors are not the same - turmeric being much more bold and peppery - the turmeric will provide the traditional yellow color found in paella.

Many flavours can be used in a paella, but not all at once! And especially escape, as if your life were at risk, from a rice that is soft, sticky or wet. In a perfect paella, rice should by dry, al dente, flavorful and not sticky.

Does paella need to have chorizo? No, paella doesn't need to have chorizo; Most Spanish cooks would not put chorizo in paella, the sausage's strong taste being considered as overwhelming the delicate saffron flavor of the rice. Paella normally has only one kind of meat (chicken or rabbit are often used).

Saffron is the main spice to use, when making Paella. Saffron is the most expensive spice on Earth and is the red-yellow stigma of the crocus flower and must be hand-picked during short annual flowering seasons.

4. Herbs and spices. The most important spice for a traditional paella is saffron, which gives the ish its rich, golden color. However, because saffron is so expensive (more expensive by weight than gold, in fact), some paella cooks use turmeric or dyes instead.

Dishes such as paella would not be possible, or at least complete, without a pinch of saffron, the most expensive spice on the planet. Saffron is a spice derived from the three stigmas of the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the “saffron crocus”.