Description
Arroz Con Gandules is a traditional Puerto Rican dish featuring flavorful medium grain rice cooked with pigeon peas, sofrito, tomato sauce, and a blend of seasonings. This vibrant one-pot meal is enhanced with optional bacon or ham for added richness and is known for its deliciously tender rice and a crispy layer called ‘pegao’ at the bottom of the pot.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Oils
- 4 slices bacon or ham, optional
- 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable oil, olive oil, or achiote oil)
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup canned gandules (pigeon peas) or frozen, drained
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup green olives, sliced or whole, or capers
- 1/4 cup sofrito, thawed if using store-bought frozen sofrito
Seasonings
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
- 1/2 packet Sazon con culantro y achiote, or 1 teaspoon homemade sazon seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Liquids and Rice
- 3 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups arroz Rico, medium grain white rice, rinsed
Instructions
- Cook the Meat: Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot such as a dutch oven or caldero over medium heat. Slowly cook the bacon or ham slices until crispy. Remove the cooked meat from the pot and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot. If not using meat, add the chosen oil to the pot before moving to the next step.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the gandules (pigeon peas), tomato sauce, green olives, sofrito, salt, adobo seasoning, sazon, black pepper, and ground cumin to the pot. Stir well to fully combine all ingredients and allow the mixture to release a fragrant aroma.
- Add Liquid and Bring to Boil: Pour in the water or chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the rinsed rice, stirring carefully to submerge the rice and evenly distribute the pigeon peas throughout the mixture.
- Cook the Rice: Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot tightly, and let the rice cook for about 25 minutes. Optionally, add the ham or bacon back into the pot now or before serving. For a traditional touch, cover the pot with a banana or plantain leaf to trap steam and add an earthy aroma, though a tight-fitting lid works well too.
- Midway Stirring (Optional): About halfway through cooking, carefully remove the lid and fold the rice gently from the bottom upwards just once to promote even cooking, taking care not to disturb the crispy layer (pegao) forming at the bottom. Avoid excessive stirring to prevent mushy rice.
- Let the Rice Steam: After 25 minutes of simmering, remove the pot from heat and let it sit covered for an additional 10 minutes to steam and allow any remaining liquid to be absorbed fully.
- Fluff and Serve: Remove the lid, fluff the rice gently with a fork, and serve warm, enjoying the balance of tender rice and flavorful pigeon peas accented with savory seasonings.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat by adding 2 teaspoons of water to the rice, stirring, and microwaving for 1 minute as needed.
- Freezing: Cool the arroz con gandules completely, then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Rinse the Rice: Rinse the medium grain rice under cold water using a fine mesh sieve to remove excess starch, helping achieve perfectly cooked, non-sticky rice.
- Rice Type: Medium grain rice is traditional for this dish. If unavailable, long grain rice is an acceptable substitute; avoid short grain rice as it results in overly sticky rice.
- Stirring: Limit stirring during cooking to avoid mushy texture and to preserve the coveted crispy bottom layer (pegao). Stir only when adding rice and optionally once halfway through cooking.
- Lid: Use a tight-fitting lid or cover the pot with foil to trap steam, ensuring evenly cooked rice with proper texture.
- Capers: If preferred, add a couple of tablespoons of capers (without juice) in place of or alongside olives when combining ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
