Arroz Con Gandules Recipe

Arroz Con Gandules - a meal staple for every Puerto Rican special occasion and quite rightly so, given that it is the national dish of the country, along with pernil or authentic Puerto Rican roasted pig, of course. A Christmas dinner at the smallest and easternmost island of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean is incomplete without steaming arroz con gandules on the table. This yellow rice cooked with pigeon peas and meat bits of bacon, chorizo, smoked ham, pork or turkey, is usually made in annatto seed infused olive oil, sofrito and broth and spiced with bay leaves, cumin, alcaparrado (capers and olives filled with red peppers), orégano brujo, followed by some thorough seasoning with salt and black pepper. Even if you aren't Puerto Rican, you must try out this authentic arroz con gandules recipe to experience the variant flavors that coexist in just one dish!

Basically, to go about making authentic arroz con gandules Puerto Rico style, which is an integral part of Puerto Rican culture, one has to begin with making the Puerto Rican version of sofrito. So, let us begin with that and then go on to the next big thing.

Sofrito Puerto Rico Style
To make this red aromatic concoction that is made with multiple flavorful items that have been cut into tiny pieces, you need,
Cubanelles, 6 (seeded and chopped)
Ají dulce, 7
Tomatoes, 2 (medium, cubed)
Yellow onions, 2 (small, chopped)
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Culantro or recao leaves, 5
Green capsicum, 1 (cored, seeded and cubed)
Red capsicum, 1 (cored, seeded and cubed)
Garlic head, 1 (small, peeled)
Kosher salt, 2 tsp.
Pepper, 2 tsp.
Procedure
In a mixer, process the ají dulce, cubanelles, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, culantro, capsicums, garlic, salt and pepper until you have a salsa like dip with loads of chunks in it.

Now we go on to learning how to make arroz con gandules Puerto Rico style.

Authentic Arroz Con Gandules Recipe
For this easy arroz con gandules recipe, you will need,
Short grain rice, 2 cups
Pigeon peas or gandules, 15 oz. (drained, washed and dried)
Tomato sauce, 8 oz.
Alcaparrado, ¼ cup (pimiento-stuffed olives will also do)
Sazón with culantro and annatto, 1 packet
Water, 4 cups
Sofrito, ½ cup
Bay leaves, 2
Vegetable oil or achiote oil, 3 tbsp.
Salt, 1 tsp.
Cumin powder, ½ tsp.
Pepper, to taste
Procedure
In a heavy 5-quart pot, heat the oil on a medium flame and throw in the bay leaves, tomatoes, alcaparrado, sazón, cumin powder and pour in the sofrito and tomato sauce. Sauté for 5 minutes and then add the rice, mix in well and let it cook just for a minute. Add the water or chicken broth after that, along with the pigeon peas, salt and pepper. Stir and then turn the stove knob to high. Cover the pot with a banana or plantain leaf and place the lid of the pot on top of it. Allow a steady boil to set in for 10 minutes or so and then once all the fluid has dissipated, use a ladle to mix the whole thing 3-4 times. If the rice sticks to the bottom of the pan, then turn the flame to low, cover with the plantain leaf and then the lid and let it all simmer for another 25 minutes. The rice will have softened to the right extent after that and you can happily serve it with the better half of arroz con gandules, pernil!!!

The above rice recipe is a vegetarian version of the authentic arroz con gandules recipe, but you can add 1½ pounds of smoked turkey wings or pork or ham to this just before adding the rice, if you like your meat.

So, that is the best arroz con gandules recipe that keeps alive the true Puerto Rican essence. You can add an extra tablespoon of annotte seeds if you like. Talking of arroz con gandules calories, 237 calories are present in each serving but there is absolutely no cholesterol at all! Buen provecho!