Recipe: How to Make Arroz con Gandules
Arroz con Gandules (rice and pigeon peas) is a traditional Puerto Rican rice dish made with pigeon peas, sofrito, and usually pork belly or sausage.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
- Category: Rice
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Ingredients
3 Cups White Rice
2–3 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Cup of Chopped Salchichón or pork belly
3/4 Cup Sofrito
1/2 Spanish Style Tomato Sauce
1/2 Cup Pitted Spanish-Style Olives
2 12 oz Cans of Gandules
2 Tbsp of Achiote (Annatto Seed) Oil
1 Tbsp Sazón
1 Tbsp Adobo
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Optional: Banana Leaf
Instructions
Heat Oil in Caledro
While the oil heats, rinse the rice in a mesh colander with cold water, set aside
Add salchichón to the oil and cook for a few minutes. Add sofrito, sauce, and gandules, achiote oil, and spices.
Let it cook for 5 minutes until the flavors come together.
Add rice, stir, add enough water that it covers the rice around one inch. Probably around 5-6 cups.
Stir and cook in medium heat until the rice absorbs the water, around 10-15 minutes.
Once the water is absorbed, stir the rice again and cover.
In the words of my mom, “LEAVE THE RICE ALONE”. Let it cook for around 20 minutes, uncover, and stir it. If it feels too dry, add a little more water.
Lower the rice to medium-low heat.
It should take another 10 minutes to cook. If you’re using the banana leaf, place it at this time on top of the rice and cover.
