Tomato Rice, or Arroz de Tomate is a delicious elevated rice that’s perfect on its own or as a side to your favorite Portuguese Dishes!
Before moving to Portugal, I would hear that Portuguese cuisine was basically limited to fish and potatoes, coated in loads of olive oil. As a Brazilian, I was very concerned that I would have to give up eating one of the most basic and most loved foods in my home country. A fun fact, in Brazil when we want to say something is basic or essential, we say it’s ‘arroz e feijão’ that’s ‘rice and bean’ in English and they’re very basic foods in every Brazilian household.
While the olive oil part happened to be true (Bacalhau à Lagareiro anyone?), I was happily surprised by the different types and ways of eating rice I found here in Portugal. The white rice that was so dear to me, now gained many flavourful additions, sea food, fish, herbs, local cured meats. Tomato rice is one of these ‘elevated’ rice, but simple enough to be a side dish, just like it’s done in so many countries. A wetter rice or how the Portuguese call it ‘malandrinho’. Tomato rice is traditionally paired with fried fish, cod fritters or shrimp rissoles.
About Our Tomato Rice Recipe
For this recipe we used Carolino rice which is a very popular short grain rice favoured in Portugal. It’s a rice that’s perfect for risotto-like dishes. You can use any short-grain rice you prefer. As for the tomato, we used very ripe plum tomatoes, and once again you can use basically any variety you prefer, as long as they are very ripe and juicy. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes to hand you can even use tinned tomatoes.
To really elevate this meal, we used a homemade vegetable stock combining carrots, onions, celery, some garlic and herbs in a pot with plenty of water. Then simmering it all until it’s reduced by almost half of its volume. This step is optional but highly recommended, you can also use a chicken stock. To complete our ingredients list, red peppers, onions, garlic, tomato concentrate, a good white wine, and bay leaves and coriander to aromatize. Yup, those basics of Portuguese cuisine find their way into this dish too!
How to Make Portuguese Tomato Rice
This recipe is extremely simple, and absolutely delicious, with the bonus that you probably have everything you need to make it at home! Fresh, and deliciously Portuguese, it pairs very well with fried or grilled fish, so it is perfect for the warmer months.
Portuguese Tomato Rice – Arroz de Tomate
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalTomato Rice, or Arroz de Tomate is a delicious elevated rice that's perfect on its own or as a side to your favorite Portuguese Dishes!
Ingredients
1 1 Large Onion
1/2 1/2 Large Red Pepper
500 g 500 Plum Tomatoes
2 tbsp 2 Olive Oil
3 3 Garlic Cloves
300 g 300 Carolino Rice
750 ml 750 Stock - Vegetable or Chicken
100 ml 100 White Wine
1 tbsp 1 Tomato Concentrate
1 1 Bay Leaf
1 tbsp 1 Cold Butter
Fresh Coriander - Roughly Chopped
Salt
Black Pepper
Directions
- Start by placing a large pot over low heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, and minced garlic cloves, frying for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the diced red pepper and onions, increase the heat slightly if needed, and fry everything until the onion is translucent and the peppers softer.
- In the meantime, dice the tomatoes, removing the seeds. Add it to the pot where you are frying the other ingredients. Cover with a lid, and let it simmer for about ten minutes or until a sauce starts to form.
- Add the rice into the tomato base, let it cook for about 2 minutes, then deglaze it with the white wine. Once the wine evaporates, add the tomato concentrate and bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add in the hot stock, stir well, then cover with a lid, letting it simmer over low to medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. You can add more water if the stock evaporates too quickly.
- Turn off the heat, then add the butter, mixing well. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with roughly chopped fresh coriander.
As mentioned above, this almost creamy rice goes exceptionally well with fried or baked fish – a favourite of ours being dourada! What’s your favourite Portuguese rice dish? Let us know in the comments!
Delicious!