Arroz con gandules is a combination of rice, pigeon peas, and pork cooked in the same pot with a Puerto Rican-style sofrito. It is the flagship dish of Puerto Rican cuisine, especially on holidays, being also very popular in the Caribbean and northern South America. Traditionally is topped with a banana leaf while cooking, adding a delicious extra layer of flavor. Some make it apastelao with a pastel inside or just shredded green plantain to add the flavor since pasteles take time to make, and not everyone has them around.
Gandul is a bean-like grain from pods that aesthetically resemble a kind of mixture between carob and the classic green bean. Apparently, its origin is still unclear; some say that the plant comes from Africa, and many others say it comes from India. It is already known in almost all parts of the world today, and it is perhaps in Latin America where it is consumed in greater quantity. The Anglo-Saxons also consume them, perhaps because of the Hindu community or the amount of foreign restoration in this country. They call the seed pigeon pea in English.
We suppose that the gandul arrived in Puerto Rico thanks to the African slaves that already existed before the colonial era, and over the years, the inhabitants of this country have made a homeland with it, and to speak of the pigeon peas, there is to speak of one of the more rooted and traditional dishes within another latent multicultural gastronomy.
Needless to say, this dish has many variations, even on the small island of Puerto Rico. Some people like to add ham. some like adding olives, some like adding sazon, and I will add I make it different every time depending on what I have on hand, but the end result is always delicious. In this particular recipe (a simpler version), I will share I don’t use sazon like many people do because I rarely use it in my kitchen, so I never have it on hand, and trust me, it is NOT necessary at all; you won’t miss any flavor or color following this recipe. Remember, those seasonings are relatively new; our ancestors did not use them and still were able to serve flavorful and colorful dishes. You can use pork shoulder, pork butt, pork chops, or pork loin; it all works beautifully. You could make this vegetarian too; just omit the pork; gandules are rich in iron and protein, so you won’t miss any nutrition by avoiding the meat in this dish.
Ingredients:
2 cups of rice
2 cups of water
1/2 lb. pork shoulder or butt in chunks (pork chop cut in chunks works)
1 can of gandules or 16 oz of fresh gandules
4 tbsp sofrito
2 tbsp annatto oil
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp oregano
salt and pepper
cilantro
Method:
In a medium saucepan or caldero heat up the annatto oil on medium heat. Throw in the pork.
Once the pork starts rendering some fat, add the seasonings (onion and garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper, and oregano). Cook for 3 minutes on higher heat.
Add the sofrito and tomato paste, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Let the water evaporate for about 15 minutes. Give the rice a gentle stir and put the lid on. Let it cook until tender. Check the video below for visual reference.
Lightly drain the gandules if they are canned. Add the gandules and cook for another minute or two to mix all the flavors.
Add the rice and water. Add the fresh cilantro.
Add the rice and water and stir until everything is mixed together.
Enjoy!
Tips:
Are you burning your rice?
- The heat might be too high.
- Pan might have been too big for the amount of rice you’re cooking. I usually use a 2-quart pan to make one cup of dry rice. So, when I double the recipe, I double the size of the pan as well – 2 cups of dry rice, 4-qt pan, and so on. That’s important because using a too big pan for a small amount of rice means more surface to distribute heat and less rice volume. This makes the water evaporate too quickly, which may lead to burned rice (sometimes undercooked AND burned).
Is your rice undercooked?
- This can happen if the lid of your pan doesn’t “close” correctly, or maybe you didn’t resist, and you took a little peak here and there, interrupting the cooking process by letting out all the vapor that is needed to cook the rice.
- Maybe, you lost track of time and thought the rice rested covered for 10 mins, but perhaps it was less than that? Seriously, set a timer! This always helps when you haven’t mastered the skill or get anxious and open the lid ahead of time.
- Maybe, instead of simmering, the liquid was boiling, causing it to evaporate faster than the rice could absorb it and cook thoroughly. This trick can help and give you the last chance to save your rice. If any of these worked, finish cooking it and feed your puppy a nice homecooked meal! LOL
- The Solution: Put the pan back on the stove over medium heat and add enough liquid to create a little steam again, like 2-3 Tbsps of liquid, and start back over at step 5. Be sure not to skip the 10 mins steam rest and no peaking; letting the steam out will cut the cooking process and ruin your rice; trust the process!
