12 sprigs cilantro
½ cup loosely packed spinach leaves
¼ cup diced pasilla pepper, seeds and ribs removed
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, peeled
⅓ cup vegetable oil
2 cups long grain rice
½ cup finely diced white onion

Combine the cilantro, spinach, pepper, lime juice, salt, 1 ½ cups water and 2 whole garlic cloves in a blender and purée on high speed until very smooth. It will be watery but viscous. Reserve the sauce.


Mince the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Drop in a grain of rice; it should start sizzling right away. If it does, add the rice and stir until the grains change color a bit, 2 to 3 minutes. 
Add the onion and minced garlic and stir until the onion becomes translucent and some of the rice toasts to golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the reserved sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and stir until the mixture starts to simmer and thicken, about 2 minutes. Cover the saucepan with aluminum foil and press the lid over the foil to get a nice seal. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and let cook for 25 minutes

Turn off the heat and let sit covered for another 5 minutes. Uncover and gently fluff the rice with a rubber spatula. (Using a fork will break the grains.) Serve hot.