Recipe: Perfect Arroz Con Gandules

Arroz Con Gandules. A traditional Puerto Rican dish, arroz con gandules is rice cooked with green pigeon peas. Learn to Make Authentic Puerto Rican Arroz con Gandules. This recipe is sure to have all your guest or family wanting more.

After all, rice and pigeon peas is the classic holiday meal. Arroz con gandules freezes very well, so make a big batch and portion it into storage bags for a quick weeknight side dish. To reheat, transfer into a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You can cook Arroz Con Gandules using 16 ingredients and 12 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Arroz Con Gandules

1. It's 3 cup of long grain white rice.
2. You need 4 cup of water.
3. Prepare 1 can of Pigeon Peas(gandules).
4. Prepare 1 cup of bacon,ham,vienna sausage, or pork fat (your choice).
5. You need 1/2 of onion.
6. You need 1/4 of green or red peppper (chopped).
7. You need 2 clove of garlic.
8. Prepare 1 of olives.
9. You need 1 of Sofrito GOYA.
10. It's 1 of Recaito GOYA.
11. You need 1/2 can of tomato sauce.
12. It's 1 envelope of Sazon GOYA.
13. It's 1 of Chicken Buillon (knorr).
14. Prepare 1 dash of cumin.
15. Prepare 1 of salt to taste.
16. Prepare 1 of bay leave.

You can create arroz con gandules/ rice with pigeon peas using your instant pot or any other What I love about this Instant Pot Arroz con Gandules recipe is that it is an easy meal and when I'm busy all. Being Puerto-Rican myself, arroz con gandules without salt is unheard of. Which is probably why First of all Arroz con gandules is made with white rice. You can make it with brown rice but it will.

Arroz Con Gandules instructions

1. Make sure to use a CALDERO (aluminum cauldron) when you are making arroz con gandules. With this kind of pot, rice comes out best..
2. First begin by heating up the CALDERO on medium high heat. Once it is hot enough you can start by adding oil,that is only if the meat that you are using does not let off alot of oil by itself..
3. Once hot enough you can add the meat. I prefer using bacon, since it lets off alot of fat or pork fat. Let the meat get nice and crispy for about 5 minutes. Make sure to mix so that it wont burn or stick to the pot!.
4. Then add onion,green pepper, red pepper or both. Dont forget olives, as many as you want and if you do not like them just keep them out. The 2 cloves of garlic, (which is best to smash with a PILON, but a food processor or simply chopping the garlic will also work) Keep mixing all ingredients..
5. As the ingredients cook together and the vegetables become translucent you can begin adding the 1/2 can of tomato sauce, the sofrito and recaito (which I always buy from the frozen area instead of the ones that come in a jar...Or make it fresh at home).
6. Open the can of GOYA gandules and add to pot. You can choose to keep the water from the can or simply throw out. I keep it just because it already has salt and flavor to it..
7. Now begin adding the spices. Envelope of sazon, a dash of cumin(not to much) and salt..
8. Add bay leave and let that all come to a simmer..
9. Now add the rice and mix so that the rice obsorbs the flavors. Just make sure it does not burn..
10. Continue by adding the water. You will need to add the chicken buillon just to give it flavor or salt and pepper. I always taste the water to see if it needs salt. Mix only once when you add the flavor to the water. After that do not mix anymore or the rice will come out AMOGOYAO (sticky) And that is not what we want..
11. Let the water boil on the medium heat and once the water disappears you can turn down the heat to low, and put the top on the pot and let cook for about 20-30 minutes..
12. Ya Estaa !!!! ( It is ready) Arroz con gandules goes great with pernil, POTATO SALAD, jibarito, pasteles, tostones etc... Whatever you like. ENJOY.

Arroz con Gandules is a traditional Puerto Rican dish that is served usually around Christmas season or special occasions. Perfecting water and rice ratio is key to this Arroz con Gandules recipe. Traditionally served for Noche Buena, arroz con gandules is also a big hit for a family get-together or just for your everyday weeknight dinner. (Side note: In Trinidad, where my husband is from. Pour in pigeon peas (gandules) and let boil for a minute. Brown Rice and Pigeon Peas (Arroz Con Gandules).