Description
Arroz con gandules is the signature rice dish of Puerto Rican cuisine. This rice is deeply aromatic, well seasoned with unique spices, and incredibly flavorful. Rice with pigeon peas (arroz con gandules) is a staple among Latin American dishes as well as Caribbean cuisine. It’s an easy rice recipe to go alongside your hearty main entrees!
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups long grain parboiled rice, rinsed until water runs clear
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup green seasoning (or green sofrito)
- 2 packets (about 2 ½ teaspoons) Sazon seasoning (culantro y achiote)
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 bay leaves (preferably fresh)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can pigeon peas, liquid drained & rinsed
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse the rice well until the water runs clear, and then drain and set the rice aside.
- Heat the oil in a large (about 5 quarts) caldero/dutch pot (or dutch oven) over medium-high heat. When hot, add the green seasoning/sofrito and sauté, stirring often, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the Sazon seasoning, tomato sauce, cilantro, bay leaves, oregano, garlic + onion powder, and salt/pepper to taste and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to medium/medium-low and let the mixture simmer, stirring every so often, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rinsed rice, pigeon peas, and broth and stir well to fully combine. Then cover the pot tightly with a sheet of foil and place the lid right over the top- we want to ensure that the heat gets trapped! Then reduce the heat to low.
- Let the rice cook on low for 30 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
- Shut off the heat and let the rice sit, undisturbed, for at least 10 minutes. Afterward, remove the lid and foil and use a fork to fluff the rice. Taste the rice and season with more salt/pepper to preference, if needed. Serve the arroz con gandules immediately with a garnish of chopped cilantro, if desired, as-is or alongside your favorite main entrees. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.