Arroz de Feijão Malandrinho (Portuguese Bean Rice)

Arroz de feijão malandrinho — “naughty” bean rice — is the soupy, soulful rice that Portuguese home cooking cannot function without: red beans and rice simmered loose in a tomato refogado until every grain is stained pink and swimming happily.

Its destiny is written in the stars and on this site: arroz de feijão with pataniscas de bacalhau (recipe here) is one of Lisbon’s sacred lunch pairings — the crispy cod fritters perched on the brothy rice, each rescuing the other from mere excellence into perfection.

Like its cousins arroz de tomate and arroz de marisco (both on the site), the texture law is absolute: wet, loose, eaten with a spoon. If it can stand in a mound, start again with more broth and better intentions.

Arroz de Feijão Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes · Cook time: 30 minutes · Total: 40 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~240 per serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain or carolino rice
• 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, with their liquid
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped (or ½ cup canned crushed)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups water (or light broth), plus more as needed
• Chopped parsley or cilantro, to finish
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Make the refogado: soften the onion and garlic in the olive oil, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaf and cook down 5 minutes.
2. Add the beans with their liquid and the water, season, and bring to a boil.
3. Stir in the rice and cook uncovered over medium heat 15 to 18 minutes, stirring now and then, keeping it decidedly wet.
4. Adjust with extra hot water if it tightens — malandrinho means loose.
5. Rest 2 minutes, shower with parsley or cilantro, and serve in deep plates with a spoon.

Recipe Notes

• The bean liquid is flavor and color — never drain it away.
• With pataniscas on top, this becomes one of Lisbon’s great lunches; with a fried egg, one of its great dinners.
• A piece of chouriço in the refogado is the northern accent; cilantro at the end is the southern one.