Beautyful Rebel: Puerto Rican Rice Recipe (Arroz Con Gandules)

Puerto Rican Rice Recipe (Arroz Con Gandules)

From my home to yours: Making Puerto Rican rice (arroz con gandules) with my grandma

1 can of Goya Green Pigeon Peas (better known as Gandules Verdes)
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
Bacon (about 20 - 30 pieces of bacon) (you can substitute for any kind of meat or none at all!)
1/2 cup white onion (cut into tiny pieces)
1/2 cup red pepper (cut into tiny pieces)
1/2 cup Cilantro (chop into small pieces)
2 packets of Sazon Goya
4 cups of water
2 big spoonful’s of Sofrito (can be bought at a store or made at home, recipe here)
1/4 teaspoon of Oregano or to liking
1/2 teaspoon Salt or to liking (OPTIONAL)

Preparation time: 35 – 45 minutes (preparing items and cooking rice)

Puerto Rican food is a mixture of Taino (native Indians), Spanish (brought new ingredients), and African (frying the food) which is why Puerto Rican cooking is called Cocina Criolla (Creole Cooking). Before I get into a history lesson, let’s dive right into how to make a masterpiece! The following is a recipe from my grandma who is born and raised in Puerto Rico.

Arroz Con Gandules:

Heat olive oil in a pot, and add all the bacon. Wait until the bacon is completely cooked then add the chopped onion, Sofrito, Sazon Goya, Pigeon Peas, and water. Stir and let it cook for about 5 – 10 minutes or until it starts boiling. You can also add salt to your liking, but there should be enough flavor.

Once the water is boiling add 2 cups of rice. Stir. (if there is too much water you can add about half a cup of rice to even it out).

Put the heat on about medium.

Towards the end add oregano to your liking, cilantro, and red pepper. Stir ingredients. You do not need to stir the rice no more than 4 times throughout the entire process.