The perfect side dish for a meal or even just on its own topped with spiced black beans, Brazilian White Rice is seasoned with onions and garlic and is absolutely delicious. It will replace boring, plain white rice in your home and you will never want to go back.
I can’t hardly believe that the Rio Olympics are over. It was such a wonderful couple of weeks and we enjoyed watching as much of it as we could. My girls, who have both been doing gymnastics since they were 18 months old, are now officially obsessed with the sport even more than before and their make-believe has shifted from princesses and cats to who is Laurie Hernandez or Simone Biles. They do floor routines across our living room floor and give kisses on the cheek after their performances. Olympics fever is strong in our household. So we invited a bunch of friends over and had a closing ceremonies Brazilian feast on Sunday to finish off the Rio Olympics season with a bang.
The meal is actually one that my sister and I made just a couple weeks earlier to celebrate the opening ceremonies. But since that was when Paul was home in California working while I was in Utah playing, I figured I ought to give him the same experience once I got back home. And besides, the dishes and flavors turned out so amazing that I wanted to share them with him (and plan to add a number of them to our regular rotation!). We’re talking bacon wrapped chicken that has been marinated with fresh rosemary & thyme in a little olive oil and lime juice and then skewered and grilled, seasoned black beans with Brazilian white rice (which Paul loved so much he declared it the best rice I have ever made), limeade, and guava swirl ice cream for dessert. I totally spaced on buying a pineapple so we didn’t get to recreate the grilled pineapple that my sister and I made for the opening ceremonies, but that is another delicious addition to our Brazilian menu that I want to try again.
This might sound ridiculous, but easily my favorite part of the meal though was the rice and beans. I’m just such a sucker for rice and beans! So many cultures eat those two things together but they have their own unique take on them and I just can’t get enough! I looked at a number of different sources for Brazilian white rice and they all say basically the exact same thing – it’s all about the onion & garlic and barely toasting the rice a bit before adding the water to it. There’s nothing really tricky or surprising beyond that, but goodness gracious it makes some tasty rice that is perfect as a side dish with some seasoned and grilled meat or with spiced black beans spooned over top or even with my Chicken Tikka Masala (actually, it would be perfect with that dish, especially if you use basmati rice instead of jasmine to make this Brazilian white rice). We can literally eat this rice with black beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because even though the flavors are slightly different, it reminds us of the Gallo Pinto we love from our travels to Costa Rica (a black beans & rice dish that is their national food and is traditionally eaten for breakfast).
The next time you go to make white rice to serve with dinner, just grab that onion & garlic from the fridge and make it Brazilian style instead of plain. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
Pin this!
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 1small onion, chopped
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- 1cup jasmine or basmati rice
- 1teaspoon salt
- 2cups boiling water
- Heat a bit more than 2 cups of water on the stove or in the microwave until boiling. You will lose some water due to evaporation so you want to start with more than 2 cups in order to have the correct amount to add to the rice.
- Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the olive oil and allow it to get hot. Add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic during the last 30 seconds.
- Add the dry rice to the onions and garlic and stir to incorporate. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice doesn't stick to the pan.
- Add the salt and two cups of boiling water to the rice. Stir, then cover with a lid. When the water returns to boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.
- Remove from heat and fluff with a fork before serving.
Recipe lightly adapted from A Taste of Brazil and Our Best Bites.
The post Brazilian White Rice appeared first on House of Nash Eats.