Cheesy Rice and Bean Pilaf with Peppers
Rice simmered right in a savory pepper and bean base, then folded with melting cheese. A comforting one-pot vegetarian dinner where every grain is seasoned.
- Total
- 50 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 30 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Sautéing · Absorption rice
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Dice the peppers into 1 cm pieces, discarding the seeds and white membranes. Drain the beans well. Grate the cheese coarsely.
~10 min
-
Warm the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers with a pinch of the salt and cook until softened and lightly golden at the edges, about 8 minutes, stirring now and then.
~8 min
Cooking peppers until golden brown triggers Maillard browning, deepening the pilaf's savory flavor.
Let the peppers colour a little before the rice goes in: those browned edges are what give the pilaf its savory depth.
Sautéing Keep heat medium and stir occasionally; peppers should soften and brown at edges, not steam or burn.
-
Stir the rice into the peppers and cook for 1 minute until the grains look glossy and smell toasted. Add the black pepper and stir once more.
~1 min
Toasting rice in oil coats grains, keeping them separate and adding a nutty flavor.
-
Add the drained beans, 600 ml water and the remaining salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 16 to 18 minutes.
~18 min
Simmering with the lid on traps steam, allowing rice to absorb liquid evenly and become tender.
If the rice is still firm when the liquid is gone, add 2 to 3 tbsp hot water, cover and steam off the heat for 3 to 5 more minutes rather than boiling it hard.
Absorption rice Use a tight lid and low simmer; avoid stirring, and check that liquid is fully absorbed when rice is tender.
-
Scatter the grated cheese over the top, cover and let it melt into the rice for 2 minutes.
~2 min
Covering traps heat so the cheese melts evenly without burning on the bottom.
-
Take the pan off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes so the grains firm up. Fluff with a wooden spoon and taste for salt before serving.
~5 min
Resting allows residual steam to redistribute moisture, firming grains for a fluffy texture.