This Portuguese Tomato Rice was inspired by my recent trip to Lisbon where I ate a delicious dish called arroz malandrinho.
Here’s a selection of photos I took:
My favourite part of the trip was when I visited was the Castelo de São Jorge. It’s a pretty steep climb up but a wonderful chance to look down on all of Lisbon’s beautiful rooftops once you get there:
As for the food, the nicest thing I ate was this really delicious rice which was described on the menu as “arroz malandrinho”.
It consisted of long-grain rice cooked in a tomato sauce, with a texture similar to risotto but less creamy and with a slightly more soup-like consistency. It was flavoured with smoked paprika and coriander, and dotted with black beans.
Just like after my last trip abroad, I decided to make a homemade version of this rice as soon as I got home.
This dish is not only super flavoursome but also really versatile! It’s hearty and satisfying enough to make up a whole meal, but also works really well as a side dish.
Equally, it’s quick and easy enough for weeknight meals, but also delicious enough to feed to guests!
Looking for more yummy rice recipes? You might like my:
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Portuguese Tomato Rice (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or sub coconut or vegetable oil)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch of cayenne chilli pepper, to taste
- 1 cup long-grain white rice (or sub brown rice if you wish, but bear in mind it will take longer to cook and may require more water)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3 tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 400 g (14oz) tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
- Bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
- Salt + pepper, to taste
To serve (optional):
- Roasted red peppers
- Fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and fry for around 10 minutes until softened
- Add the smoked paprika (and cayenne pepper if using) and fry for a further couple of minutes until fragrant
- Add the rice and fry, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes
- Add the stock cube, tomatoes, black beans and water and bring to the boil
- Cook for 10-15 minutes until rice is softened (taste a little and check) - add more water and cook for longer if necessary
- Taste and add extra salt if necessary. If it tastes too acidic because of the tomatoes, add a small amount of sweetener of choice to balance out the flavours
- Once the rice has cooked, add the coriander, stir and leave to sit with a lid on for 5 minutes before serving
To serve (optional):
- Top with roasted sweet red peppers and scatter over extra chopped coriander
Anonymous
Made this for dinner last night and it was great – I used kidney beans instead of black beans!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Callie
Thank you for sharing this recipe; I make it regularly. My whole family loves it!
Rhian Williams
Aw amazing, thank you so much! So glad you like the recipe!