Northeastern Brazilian Rice and Black-Eyed Peas with Bacon and Melted Cheese

What you need

• 250 g (1 1/3 cups) dried black-eyed peas, rinsed
• 1.2 l (5 cups) water, for the peas
• 150 g (5 oz) bacon, diced
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 200 g (1 cup) long-grain white rice
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 200 g (7 oz) queijo coalho, or firm queso panela, cut in small cubes
• 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 2 scallions, sliced

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the peas and water in a pot, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until tender, 30-40 min.

2. 2

   Drain the peas and keep 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) of the cooking liquid.

3. 3

   Cook the bacon in the oil in a large wide pot over medium heat until the fat melts out and the edges turn crisp, 6-8 min.

4. 4

   Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 min.

5. 5

   Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

6. 6

   Stir in the rice and cook for 2 min, until the grains look glossy.

7. 7

   Add the peas, the reserved cooking liquid and the salt. Stir once and bring to a boil.

8. 8

   Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 min.

9. 9

   Scatter the cheese over the top, cover again and leave off the heat for 3-5 min so it softens.

10. 10

    Fold in the cilantro and scallions and serve hot.

Imported from hispanicfoodnetwork.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.