Cuban-style rice and beans

For 4 € 0.49 /pers. 171 kcal/100g

How to make Cuban rice and beans .

Cuban gastronomy is something that we do not have very present in our country. Surely the distance and the situation of little communication with the outside have meant that their culture has transcended little to the outside and at the same time it has received few influences.

The little I know about Cuban cuisine has been taught to me by Roberto, a Cuban friend who is fond of cooking like me. His grandmother prepares a stew with beans and rice that couldn’t be simpler and tastier, Cuban-style rice and beans. It is one of the rice that we know best after the simple Cuban rice .

This stew is nothing more than a mixture of black beans stewed with vegetables and aromatic herbs, accompanied by white cooked rice. To prepare it, I am going to do it in parts. First we are going to cook the Sabroz rice and then add a touch of vinegar and sugar that rounds out the flavor of the dish with the legumes.

The ingredients are simple and the result is a vegetarian delight . Nutritionally speaking, it is a very complete dish. The union of rice as a cereal and legumes provides us with quality vegetable protein.

Preparation of the beans

1. We soak the beans or beans in a bowl with water for 12 hours. We can leave them from one day to the next. Once soaked, drain the water and set aside.
2. We wash the peppers and cut them into small cubes. Peel the garlic and onion and cut them in the same way, into small brunoise.
3. In a saucepan we pour 1 liter of water. Add half the pepper, half the onion, half the garlic, the bay leaf and the soaked and drained beans. We cover the pot and, from the moment the water begins to boil, we cook for 45 minutes over medium/low heat.

Sautéed vegetables and final cooking of the beans

1. While the beans are cooking, we will prepare a sauce with the rest of the vegetables. In a frying pan we heat the olive oil. When it is hot, add the onion, green pepper and the rest of the garlic.
2. Sauté the vegetables until they are soft. We add the cumin, oregano and paprika. We stir well and cook for 1-2 more minutes so that the flavors are well integrated. We remove from the heat.
3. When the 45 minutes of cooking the beans have passed, we add the sautéed vegetables and a pinch of salt to the casserole. We cover the casserole again and continue cooking the beans for another 30 minutes.
4. After this time we add the vinegar and sugar. We continue cooking for 15 more minutes. If we see that we have excess liquid left, we can cook this last section with the casserole uncovered. We could also crush a tablespoon of beans to help thicken.

Rice preparation and final presentation

1. While the final stretch of the beans is cooking, we are going to prepare the rice. We heat 500 ml. of water with a pinch of salt and add the rice. We cook the Sabroz shiny rice for 18 minutes.
2. We serve the beans accompanied by a portion of freshly made rice. We can accompany this dish with the traditional fried plantain and a pinch of cilantro.

Follow all the steps of this Cuban rice and beans recipe in the album. Don’t miss any details so that it turns out delicious.

Tips for delicious Cuban rice and beans

• In Cuba it is usually accompanied by banana cut into slices and fried in a frying pan, but a serving of vegetables, a salad , avocado or any other vegetable will also be a perfect complement for a balanced, complete and healthy meal, as well as suitable for vegetarians and vegans .
• Be careful with the cooking point of the rice . It is preferable that it be a little hard rather than past, since the first thing is fixed, but if it is past there is no solution.
• You can add fried banana to the recipe if you want it more original, it will give it a very tasty touch, although be careful with digestion.
• If you have many servings left over, this dish can be frozen . It is true that it will not be as good as freshly made, but it can save you from a pinch.