Brazil Recipes – Wagoners’ Rice (Arroz Carreteiro)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 green peppers, de-seeded and sliced
- 2 red peppers, de-seeded and sliced
- 2 yellow peppers, de-seeded and sliced
- 3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 375g/13oz beef cut into cubes
- 350g/12oz non-stick rice
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 4 spring onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- Grind together garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper with a pestle and mortar.
Method
1. Heat the olive oil in large heavy-based saucepan until very hot. Add the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes until just beginning to brown. Add the paste from the mortar and stir.
2. Stir in the beef and continue to cook over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until all the meat is well sealed. Next add the peppers and tomatoes and stir well.
3. Tip in the rice. Stir well and pour over enough water to cover the ingredients by 2.5cm/1inch.
4. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or when the water has nearly all been absorbed. You may need to add a little more water if the rice is too al dente and the dish quite dry.
5. Just before serving sprinkle over the parsley and spring onions.
Recipe courtesy Moacir, 2003