Congrí

Prep 15 min
Total 55 min
Ingredients 11
Servings 6

Congrí (moros y cristianos as they’re also known) is a very popular dish in Cuba made up of rice with black or red beans. Its preparation has its tricky parts, but the trick to getting the rice to be nice and dark is simple. I was lucky enough to learn this from one of my Cuban friends and since then I have followed her instructions to the letter, while still adding my own personal touch. MORE + LESS -

Ingredients

pound black beans, softened or canned

cups of grain parboiled rice (Parboiled rice)

cup olive oil, divided

bay leaves

cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2

teaspoon ground cumin

cups chopped onion julienne

cup yellow pepper

cup red pepper

cup orange pepper

Salt to taste

Directions

Hide Images

1

If you choose to use canned beans, skip this step and go on to the next one. Soften the dried beans, wash and cook over medium heat in a large pot in 1 1/2 liter of water with 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, cumin and bay leaf. Simmer until they are soft (about 1 hour), check on the water occasionally.
2

Add 1/2 cup of olive oil to a pot and fry the rice for a few minutes, then add the beans, make sure to use only 5-6 cups of water in which the beans were cooked. Cook over medium heat – keep covered until the rice has absorbed the liquid, about 20 minutes.
3

Heat oil in a large skillet and add onions, peppers and cook for about 2 minutes just to minimize them a bit. Once ready, pour it over the cooked rice and mix well. Garnish with 1 red pepper cut into strips and pour the liquid over the rice.

Expert Tips

You can add pieces of cooked bacon.
Remember to soak the beans for one hour if you’re using dry beans.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

Congrí (moros y cristianos as they’re also known) is a very popular dish in Cuba made up of rice with black or red beans. Its preparation has its tricky parts, but the trick to getting the rice to be nice and dark is simple. I was lucky enough to learn this from one of my Cuban friends and since then I have followed her instructions to the letter, while still adding my own personal touch.