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Arroz a la Valenciana

Arroz a la Valenciana
  • Prep 20 min
  • Total 45 min
  • Ingredients 17
  • Servings 4
In Nicaragua, where my mother's side of the family is from, there's a rice dish that is always prepared at family gatherings and celebrations. I'm not talking about gallo pinto (rice and beans), but about arroz a la valenciana. Inspired by the Spanish paella, this rice dish is prepared in a big pan so it can feed many people at once. It's usually made with one or many kinds of meats such as chicken, sausage, shrimp, or canned tuna. But since I'm a vegetarian, and the whole Easter season is a time of low meat consumption, my mom and I created this version made with chickpeas instead of meat. Chickpeas are also a staple legume during Lent, so we thought it was the perfect protein to include in this homey dish. We also added artichokes, simply because we love them! And we used brown rice because we like eating whole grains. The traditional version, however, is made with white rice, so do it the way it pleases you most.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (or achiote)
  • 1 1/2 cups rice
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 cup frozen sweet corn
  • Cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup green olives filled with pepper, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 jar artichoke hearts
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

  • 1
    Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and turmeric, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • 2
    Add the rice and diced tomato, and mix for 1 minute. Add the chickpeas, carrot, pepper, corn, cayenne, salt, and pepper; and cover with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the rice is cooked. Add more water if needed.
  • 3
    When the rice is almost cooked, add the peas, olives, capers, raisins, and artichokes.
  • 4
    Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

  • If you use brown rice to make this dish, the cooking time will be longer, and you will need more water. In this case it's better to add the chickpeas, carrots, peppers, and corn 20 minutes after the rice starts cooking.
  • You can replace the raisins with chopped prunes or dates.

No nutrition information available for this recipe

  • In Nicaragua, where my mother's side of the family is from, there's a rice dish that is always prepared at family gatherings and celebrations. I'm not talking about gallo pinto (rice and beans), but about arroz a la valenciana. Inspired by the Spanish paella, this rice dish is prepared in a big pan so it can feed many people at once. It's usually made with one or many kinds of meats such as chicken, sausage, shrimp, or canned tuna. But since I'm a vegetarian, and the whole Easter season is a time of low meat consumption, my mom and I created this version made with chickpeas instead of meat. Chickpeas are also a staple legume during Lent, so we thought it was the perfect protein to include in this homey dish. We also added artichokes, simply because we love them! And we used brown rice because we like eating whole grains. The traditional version, however, is made with white rice, so do it the way it pleases you most.
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