Costa Rican Gallo Pinto (Rice and Beans)
Gallo Pinto is a traditional rice and beans dish from Costa Rican and Central American, this comfort dish is made with red or black beans, white rice, vegetables and spices.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups of cooked red or black beans 450 g.
- 1 cup of uncooked white rice 130 g.
- 3 tablespoons of oil
- 1 white onion 100 g.
- 1 red bell pepper 100 g.
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 ? cups of water 500 ml
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- Chopped cilantro to garnish
- Salt to taste
Serve with:
- Fried ripe plantains
- Fried egg
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Wash the red bell pepper very well. Cut the stem of the pepper, remove the veins and seeds, and cut it into small squares. Then peel the onion and cut it into small squares. Crush the garlic in a mortar.
- Place a frying pan on the stove, over medium-high heat. Add the oil and wait a couple of minutes until it begins to bubble, and fry the diced onion together with the garlic, until golden.
- Add the diced red bell pepper, along with the cumin and salt. Cook for a couple more minutes until the diced bell pepper pieces are soft. Remove this onion and bell pepper ‘sofrito’ from the pan and save it on a separate plate.
- Add the rice to the same pan and cook it in the pan for approximately three minutes. Stir to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom or from burning, you want it to get slightly golden or light brown.
- When the rice is golden, add the water and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium high heat, uncovered, for approximately ten minutes or until the water from the rice has evaporated.
- Cover and cook over low heat for another 10 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Add the cooked black beans and the reserved onion and bell pepper sofrito.
- Mix everything with a large cooking spoon and cook covered over low heat for about five additional minutes. Taste and adjust the salt, if necessary. Add chopped cilantro to decorate.
- Serve with fried ripe plantains, fried egg, etc.
