Preheat the cooking pan and the oil first, then add rice and mix it to coat all the grains with oil.
Fry rice over medium heat until it starts turning brown. Stir from time to time.
When rice starts turning brown, add onion, tomato, and garlic. Stir and cook for a couple more minutes.
Raise the heat to medium-high and add water, chicken broth, tomato sauce, cumin, and salt. Slowly stir to mix and bring it to simmer.
As soon as it starts to simmer, cover the pan with a lid and turn down the heat to low.
Let rice cook. Do not stir or open the lid until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice. This will take about 20 minutes.
Once rice has absorbed the liquid, take the pan off the heat and take the lid off. Fluff rice with a fork and add cilantro.
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Notes
Make sure to use long-grain rice - long grain rice is important to use because it tends to cook fluffy and as separate grains.Long grain rice includes American long-grain rice, Basmati, and Jasmine rice.
Make sure to sear rice first - There are two main reasons for frying rice first and that is taste and texture.Browning rice first in a pan with a little oil will help keep rice as individual grains and not get mushy. Frying it first will help prevent rice from sticking together while simmering. While rice is browning, you will start noticing a nutty aroma, which will translate into the way rice will taste. This will add another layer of flavor to the whole dish.
Do not bother the rice once you add the liquid! This is Important. Do not stiror open the lid until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice. After you add the liquid and spices, stir 1 time to mix, cover the pan with the lid, lower the heat, and do not touch it until liquid is absorbed. That will take about 20 minutes.