Puerto Rican rice and beans are full of rich flavors, and while they may use some ingredients not standard in a stereotypical Kansas kitchen, they are definitely worth a try.
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Keyword: adobo, basmati rice, cilantro, garlic, green bell pepper, onions, pigeon peas, pinto beans, tomato sauce
Ingredients
Beans Ingredients
2cupsdry pinto beans
8cupsvegetarian broth
2bay leaves
2teaspoonsolive oil
1/2of a large yellow oniondiced
1green bell pepperdiced
1/4cupfresh cilantrominced
6clovesgarlicminced
15ouncestomato saucedivided
2packets Sazon Culantro y Achiote
saltto taste
Rice Ingredients
2teaspoonsolive oil
1/2of a large yellow oniondiced
1green bell pepperdiced
6clovesgarlicminced
Reserved tomato sauceabout 1/2 cup
2packets Sazon Culantro y Achiote
1/4teaspoonadobo seasoning
15ouncespigeon peasundrained
3cupswater
2cupsbasmati white rice
saltto taste
Instructions
The night before you make this (or about eight hours before), combine the dried beans, vegetable broth and bay leaves in a Dutch oven with a lid. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, place the lid on top, and let the beans soak at least eight hours.
When you're ready to start cooking, bring the beans back to a boil and then reduce to a low boil, leaving the lid on the pot. You'll let them simmer for one to two hours or until they are tender. When they are tender, remove the bay leaves but do not drain the liquid.
While the beans are cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion and green pepper, sauteing until both are soft. Add in the garlic and cilantro and saute for a few minutes until the garlic just starts to brown. Add one cup of the tomato sauce and the Sazon packets, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture cook for a couple minutes. If the beans are not tender yet, remove the mixture from heat. If they are, go ahead and add it to the beans.
Once the tomato mixture is added to the beans, cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the rice, while the beans simmer, in a medium-sized pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and green pepper, sauteing until both are soft. Add in the garlic and cilantro and saute for a few minutes until the garlic just starts to brown. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the rest of the tomato sauce, Sazon packets and adobo seasoning and let cook for about two minutes. Stir in the undrained pigeon peas and three cups of water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the rice, place the lid on the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.
Once the beans and rice are finished cooking, add salt if desired, and then serve the beans and rice together in a bowl. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if you want to.