Arroz con gandules is Puerto Rican. It is rice, pigeon peas and pork cooked in one pot with sofrito, and it is named as Puerto Rico’s national dish alongside roasted pork, served mainly at Christmas and on special occasions (source). The sofrito is the part that matters: it cooks with the rice, which absorbs it.
Gandules are pigeon peas, and that word travels further than the dish does. Belize and much of the Caribbean use it for the same legume. This recipe came to us through a Puerto Rican friend and it is her method, kept as she cooks it.
The granulated caldo de pollo Belizean kitchens season the broth with.
Ingredients:
- 1 can of pigeon peas (gandules)
- 4 cups of chicken stock or water (or vegetable stock)
- 2 cups of rice (jasmine rice preferred)
- 3 tablespoons of sofrito
- 1 pack of Goya seasoning with azafran
- 1 beef bouillon cube (if not using chicken stock)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: chopped ham and crushed garlic for added flavor
Instructions:
- In a large pot, heat up a tablespoon of oil and sauté the chopped ham and crushed garlic for about 3 minutes (optional).
- Add the sofrito paste and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add the rice and Goya seasoning and stir to coat the rice evenly.
- Add the chicken stock (or water/vegetable stock) and bring everything to a boil.
- Add the pigeon peas and stir to combine.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid.
- Cook for 20 minutes without opening the lid.
- After 20 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for an additional 10 minutes to steam.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.
Alternative Ingredient Options:
- For a vegan version, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and omit the ham.
- To make the dish gluten-free, ensure that the Goya seasoning does not contain any gluten and use gluten-free bouillon cubes if necessary.
Serving Suggestions:
- Roasted pork is the classic partner, since the two are named together as Puerto Rico’s national dish.
- It also carries chicken, fish or beef, the way any well-seasoned rice does.
- Fried plantains on the side, and it holds its own on a holiday table.
Tips and Tricks:
- Rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking to remove excess starch.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent burning and sticking.
- Do not open the lid while the rice is cooking, as it will release steam and affect the cooking process.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Variations:
- Add diced tomatoes and bell peppers for added flavor and color.
- Use brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice for a healthier alternative.
My friend usually chops a little bit of ham and sautes this with 3 cloves of fresh crushed garlic in about a tablespoon of oil. Then she adds the sofrito paste and sautes this for about three minutes, then she adds the rice and Goya seasoning then she adds the water/stock (the ratio is 2 cups liquid to 1 cup rice) The beans are not included in the ratio. Add gandules. Bring everything to a boil cover pot and lower heat to medium-low. Cook for twenty minutes. Do not open the pot until after 20 minutes.
Not the Same as Rice and Peas or Rice and Beans
Three dishes get confused here, and the confusion comes from the word for the legume rather than from the cooking.
Jamaican rice and peas uses red kidney beans, which Jamaica calls peas, and cooks the rice in coconut milk and the water the peas were boiled in. Belizean rice and beans is that same dish in Belizean vocabulary, built from a standing pot of stewed beans. Neither one contains sofrito, and this one does not contain coconut milk. Same idea, three separate kitchens.
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Arroz con gandules cooks covered on low for 25 minutes. Five-ply stainless holds heat evenly through the steam-rest.
For batched arroz con gandules at family gatherings, a 7-quart slow cooker handles the rice and pigeon peas without scorching.
About Chica Post
Chica Post is Belizean by marriage and love. She has traveled across Belize — Corozal, Orange Walk, Dangriga, Stann Creek, and everywhere except Toledo — and has been to Mexico many times. She is raising two bilingual boys and keeping Belizean food alive in an American kitchen. She co-authored many of the original recipes on this site and took the photographs. She writes for the Belize News Post.
