"For breakfast here in Nicaragua we have rice and beans," starts Raul, an agronomists explaining the ultimate end for the produce we just saw on the organic farms we toured.
"For lunch we have beans and rice," he continues. "And for dinner we eat gallo pinto."
Gallo pinto, literally translated as painted rooster, is simply a mixture of rice and beans. This recipe here is an adaptation of a version encountered in the farmlands in the coffee rich area of Miraflor.
Rice
Almost half of this recipe is the rice. White rice is the most common type used for this recipe throughout Latin America, but a wild rice could substituted if you would like.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 1/4 cups of water or salt-free chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Procedure
- Pour rice into a medium sized pot for which you have a tight fitting lid. Rinse the rice by filling the pot with water and stirring the rice with your fingers. Dump out the water. Repeat two more times. This rinses off a lot of the starch on the outside of the pieces of rice and will lead to rice that does not stick together as much.
- Pour water or broth over rice until the level of the liquid is a little less than an inch higher than the level of the rice. You can measure by touching the tip of your middle finger to the top of the rice. You want the liquid to come up to the first knuckle. (For 1 1/2 cups of rice, 2 1/4 cups of liquid will work well.)
- Over high heat, bring the rice to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to the heat to low and place a tight fitting lid on the pot.
- In 20 minutes, take the lid off and fluff the rice with a fork.
Beans
Black beans are the most common bean found in gallo pinto. You can start off with canned beans, but dried beans are very simple with just a little forethought and much cheaper.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. dried black beans rinsed and picked over
- water
Procedure
- Cover beans with plenty of water in a medium sized pot. Allow to soak for several hours or over night. (If you do not have the time, you can also just start cooking, but the cooking time will be significantly longer.) Drain soaking liquid.
- Cover beans with water in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for at least an hour until the beans are tender and the water has evaporated. Add water as needed to keep beans covered during the first 45 minutes.
Gallo Pinto
In it's most basic form, gallo pinto is just a mixture of rice and beans. This recipe brings together a few more ingredients for a more flavorful end product.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 3 cups cooked beans
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
- In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and pepper.
- Add rice and beans. Stir and heat through. Adjust seasoning as desired.
- Serve with your favorite hot sauce or Lizano salsa.
