When i was planning for making out some portuguese rice dishes, the first rice dish i got immediately was this portuguese tomato rice, which captured my attention immediately coz this rice was quite easy and quick to make out with simple ingredients which can be served with any spicy kurmas or gravies, we had this rice with spicy mushroom kurma and boiled eggs for our lunch yesterday, a prefect Indo Portuguese lunch menu..I loved the simplicity of this rice and also this rice tastes fantastic without any side dish..when i told that today i prepared portuguese tomato rice to everyone at home,they were bit weird and once i served them, the first expression was completely different, yes we enjoyed having  this arroz de tomate..Traditionally this rice is prepared with tomatoes, onions, long grain rice cooked in chicken broth with sausages, but i completely omitted both the chicken broth and sausages and prepared this rice in vegetable broth and diced bellpeppers...Needless to say that this portuguese tomato rice goes directly to AWED-Portuguese guest hosted by me, event started by DK and to Silpa's APS-Rice....


1no Onion (big & chopped)
3nos Garlic cloves (crushed)
4nos Tomatoes (deskinned & chopped)
1/2cup Bellpeppers (diced)
3cups Vegetable broth
1/4cup Parsley leaves (chopped)
Salt
Pepper powder
Olive oil

Heat enough olive oil in a large vessel, add immediately the chopped onions and crushed garlic, saute until the onions turns transculent, add now the chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley leaves and cook in simmer until the tomatoes turns mushy, now add the rice and saute for few minutes..add the vegetable broth with enough salt and pepper powder and cook in medium high flame for 5 minutes and then in simmer until the rice get cooked, finally add the diced bellpeppers and toss gently and keep in simmer for few seconds, put off the stove..

Serve hot with any side dish!!

Broa, famous corn bread made with yellow or white cornmeal is the daily grain food of Portugal..This corn bread has a crisp, even hard crust and a very soft, fine textured interior..It goes well with soups and stews or when served with butter or olive oil or with cheese..Broa is made with a mixture of cornmeal and wheat or all purpose flour and is leavened with yeast..This yeast bread tastes fantastic and a prefect pair for soups..I tried out this bread yesterday with stone ground yellow cornmeal and all purpose flour which had a rustic flavour and texture..I got 3 round loaves and they vanished within few hours, everyone at home enjoyed with melting cheese or with butter with a bowl of soup..Obviously am sending this portuguese corn bread to AWED-Portuguese guest hosted by me, event by DK and to Madhuram's Whole Grain Baking Event-Corn..


4cups All purpose flour or Bread flour + flour for dusting
2cups Stone ground yellow cornmeal
2cups Luke warm water
2tbsp Active dry yeast
3tbsp Butter (room temperature)
1+1/2 tsp Salt
1tbsp Sugar

Mix the yeast,sugar and salt in a cup of luke warm water and keep side for 5minutes until the yeast mixture turns foamy.. mix the cornmeal, butter and flour in a large bowl, pour the foamy yeast mixture; luke warm water and knead everything as soft dough..cover with a lid and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for atleast for an hour..punch down the doubled dough, knead slowly the dough dusted with all purpose flour and make 3 or 4 round loaves..arrange the round loaves over a baking sheet, cover the loaves with a towel and let the loaves sit again in a warm place for an hour..


Preheat the oven to 450F and place the loaves in the middle rack and make some slashes over the loaves with a sharp knife, place an another baking tray to hold water on the bottom of baking tray and pour 2cups of tape water..this helps to make the crust crispy, close the oven door immediately and bake for 30minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and firm top..


Allow to cool completely and enjoy!! am sending this cornbread to Natasha's 5Star Makeover...

Portuguese bean soup which is quite an easy, healthy, filling and fantastic soup with plenty of veggies and beans..This portuguese bean soup is one of the local favourite and this soup tastes incredible when its cold or rainy days..Its seems each and everyone had their own personnal interpretation of this dish and traditionally this dish is mainly prepared with tomato base ingredients and gets its rich flavour from smoked ham hocks which i completely omitted in this recipe and prepared with plenty of veggies like carrots, potatoes, cabbages, celery ,diced tomatoes cooked with tomato paste and herbs with tinned red kidney beans..We enjoyed having this fantastic, filling and hearty soup for our dinner yesterday and we loved it...These soup goes directly to AWED-Portuguese which am hosting,the event started by DK..